Baby chicks chest bumping?

[cary 1973]

all 4 of mine are girls and they do it they also run at each other and play chicken

 

[hugapug]

I was going to ask the same question because I have a 3 month old Silkie and a 1 month old EE that do it to eachother. The EE is the one that starts it and the Silkie bumps back almost like she's telling the other one, "Don't mess with me, sister!". My Silkie has been DNA tested and she's a girl. The EE was from a hardware store who had been sexed at a day. I'm hoping and praying and doing the chicken dance that the EE is a girl because we've gotten attached to her. I guess time will tell.

 

[heybarb]

Here is a video of my chicks doing the "chicken dance" - bobbing heads and bumping chests. They are all (girls & boys) doing it. The white ones are definitely girls. The two buff ones are boys.

 

[janinepeters]

They all do it to some extent. They are establishing peck order. Once they have determined who "wins" in each pairing, peck order has been established and the behavior will stop.

 

[RonC]

They all do it to some extent. They are establishing peck order. Once they have determined who "wins" in each pairing, peck order has been established and the behavior will stop.

My 13 week olds must not have established their pecking order yet. It's still a daily occurance.

 

[n8ivetxn]

My 3 week olds do it, at least 2 of them. They're SFs and I'm sure they're both roos ): And I have a 4 week old pullet that likes to get in on it! She thinks she runs things!

 

[Curlymg]

Hm. I'm crossing my fingers that they're all girls & just establishing a pecking order. But I did buy them as a straight run. D:

 

[hugapug]

I think it's kind of cute to watch them interact that way. My EE will crouch down in front of the Silkie like she will pounce on her any second but the Silkie holds her own which I'm glad because everything I've read about them is that tend to be at the bottom of the pecking order. Fascinating creatures to watch

 

[Strikefalcon]

I'm glad to hear that Hens do this to as I've noticed this with my chicks and I don't want any Roo's.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

i think they all do that too,pullets, I've noticed the cockerells tend to 'fight' more so, with actually biting and leaping to spur each other., better to sort out dominence while they're still to little to do damage, thankfully.