What Is a Group of Hens Called?
The backyard bird that quite literally invented the phrase “pecking order.”
A group of hens is most often called a run, with brood reserved more specifically for a hen and her own chicks. Domestic hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) are one of the most numerous birds on the planet and live in structured social groups with a clear pecking order.
Quick Facts
| Animal | Hens |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Gallus gallus domesticus |
| Category | Birds |
Deck of Nouns
What Is a Group of Hens Called?
Run is the general term for a group of hens kept together, borrowed from “chicken run,” the fenced outdoor space hens are typically kept in. Brood is more specific: it technically describes a hen together with her own chicks, not just any group of adult hens.
Where Did the Name Come From?
“Run” comes directly from the physical enclosure hens are kept in rather than any medieval hunting tradition, a practical, farmyard-born term rather than a poetic one. “Brood” has older roots tied to incubation and hatching, the same root behind “brooding” as in a hen sitting on her eggs.
Hen Facts
- Where “pecking order” comes from: Hens establish a strict social hierarchy within their flock, literally enforced through pecking, which is the real-world origin of the now-common phrase.
- Excellent facial recognition: Hens can recognize and remember over 100 individual faces, including other hens and the humans who care for them.
- No rooster required for eggs: A hen will lay eggs regularly without a rooster present; a rooster is only needed if you want the eggs to be fertilized.
- Better color vision than us: Chickens are tetrachromatic, meaning they have four types of color receptors compared to a human’s three, letting them see a wider range of colors, including some in the ultraviolet range.
- A surprisingly large vocabulary: Hens use more than 24 distinct vocalizations, each associated with a specific meaning, from alerting others to a predator overhead to announcing a freshly laid egg.
Example Sentences
- A run of hens scattered across the yard the moment the feed bucket appeared.
- The broody hen kept her small brood of chicks tucked tightly under her wing.
Other Names for a Group of Hens
Run is the term to use for hens generally, especially adult hens kept together without reference to chicks. Brood is the more precise, family-specific term, reserved for a mother hen and her own hatched chicks rather than an unrelated group of adult hens.
🧠 Test Your Hen Knowledge
Three quick questions. See what stuck.
1. What’s the general term for a group of hens?
2. What does “brood” specifically refer to?
3. What common phrase originated from hen behavior?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of hens called?
Most often a run, with brood used more specifically for a hen and her own chicks.
Does a hen need a rooster to lay eggs?
No. Hens lay eggs regularly without a rooster; a rooster is only needed for the eggs to be fertilized.
Where does the phrase “pecking order” come from?
It comes directly from the social hierarchy hens establish and enforce through pecking within their flock.
Can hens recognize individual faces?
Yes, hens can recognize and remember over 100 individual faces, including other hens and familiar humans.
Do hens have good color vision?
Yes, chickens are tetrachromatic, giving them a wider color range than humans, including some ultraviolet perception.
The Original Social Network
A run of hens is a lot more socially complex than it looks from outside the coop, a structured little society with its own hierarchy, its own language, and a habit of ruling the backyard on its own terms.