Do anyone elses pullets "Chest Bump"??

Hey all! I have 7 15 week old pullets and they are doing a pretty odd thing the past few days. They are running up to each other or jumping in front of each other and practically doing a "chest bump" like a couple of guys would during a score in a game or something. What the heck is that?? My guess is that they are trying to establish a pecking order maybe. Ideas or thoughts?

Mine use to do it all the time at that age.. I am sure it is just a chicken thing. They are noe about 30weeks old and don't do it as much. I must say I miss it.

Mine did that too, but not so much anymore. They are 20.5 weeks old now. I thought maybe they were establishing dominance.

It's play, designed to help establish rank in the pecking order. Pullets do it as well as cockerels. They become a bit more sophisticated as they mature. They'll raise their neck feathers and bow, in a "stare down."

Yes, this is totally natural, and cute! my orpingtons used to do it all the time, it sure does become something you miss though-Enjoy it

The funniest was watching my little roosters do it to each other - they'd raise their heads up higher then the other guys and puff out their neck feathers after chest bumping. They'd stare each other down and then one would look away and pow! The other would pounce and they'd repeat the process until something else distracted them or they got pummeled too much. I miss my little guys I only have the one rooster now and he doesn't have anyone to chest bump - instead he spends his time mounting our only laying pullet.

My little 7 week old lavender orpingtons are doing that now - establishing their suborder within the larger flock. They haven't tried it with the bigs yet - and the bigs don't do that any more. My middles are all content to stay in the the order they've placed themselves and haven't chest bumped since in the brooder.

My guess is once the littlest ones are bigger we'll see some more posturing. It's pretty funny to watch the chicken social order being established. I could get a lawn chair and just watch them for hours.

My 5 girls are 23 weeks, and I have been seeing them doing this for awhile now. The 1 BA I have usually initiates the chest bumping with the Dominiques, lately I have noticed the Dominiques will walk away from the BA. BUT when one of the Dominiques initiates with another Dominique they actually do the chest bump. So I am guessing that the BA is a top ranker in the flock. LOL!!!

Oh yes. Like a bunch of tarred and feathered football players at practice...

Glad to know they are normal I do get a kick out of watching them do it, so I will just enjoy it while it lasts.

Yessss! It is so funny, my DH and I often take a coctail out in the evening to watch the "chicken show". It comes on about an hour before the national news. I have 5 girls about 20 - 22 weeks old. The funniest thing about the chest bumps is when our little bantam girl tries to bump the black Australorps or White Brahmas. She is the oldest at 24 wks but has to jump up about 6 inches to chest bump the others. Should I get her a step stool?