Selecting for Age at First Egg: Effects on Social dominance ,

Pullets of strains selected for early and late age at first egg were compared, along with unselected control strains, for relative social dominance ability in flocks assembled at 21 and 36 weeks of age. An apparent correlated response was found at 21, but not at 36 weeks. Early-strain pullets dominated nearly twice as many other-strain females as did late-strain pullets (P = 0.08) in flocks assembled at 21 weeks of age. Relative social dominance potential appeared to vary with age.