Hen fight?

[Kylongspur88]

I've seen hens fight without jakes involved. I've seen it mostly in the fall but also seen it a few times in the spring. Two springs ago I had an old hen that was nesting at the edge of a hay field. She'd run out and flog any other hen that came near her little corner.

[backforty]

Have heard two flocks come together several times in the fall. Both times it started with loud long series of yelps from hen on both sides and as the flocks closed the gap they would start cutting and yelping. I did not hear any "fighting purrs"until I started hearing wings flapping as the flocks came together. I did hear Jake yelps and then lots of gobbling once the fighting purrs started. This whole scenario played out on an opposite ridge about 200 yds from me and went on for about 15 minutes. Hard to beat sitting on a log on a cold,calm day listening to that.

[OJR]

I watched two large groups one fall. Probably more than 30 hens. They ran towards each other like you were watching a Civil War movie. There was more clucking and purring and jumping around than I could ever have imagined. Was almost comical. After a few minutes they separated into a few one-on-one fights and then went their separate ways.

[ferocious calls]

My Eastern hens fight quite a bit. Usually it doesn't last long, but sometimes it does. They most always start by one hen talking chit to another. A low purr followed by some sarcastic whines and louder purrs, building to loud fighting purrs, clucks, putts and lots of whining.
Doesn't matter the season when a hen will fight.

Hens can kill each other in some cases. Toms more often. One mouth clamped on to another's mouth is deadly.