Normal Pecking Order Behavior?

[TinaRew]

Hey all, was hoping you more seasoned chicken owners could help. I have 4 hens and my biggest girl is a Lavendar Ameraucana and clearly seems the top of the pecking order (ironically she used to be the runt!). She seems like a bully (though she is a favorite and super sweet with us… so please don’t suggest she become dinner…). She’s always running at the other girls at full speed and you can see them challenge each other often. There are no wounds on anyone, so no major aggression causing injuries. Is this normal pecking order behavior that I just leave alone and let be?

Also… she’s massive compared to the other 3 which are 2 olive eggers and a welbar. We were convinced she’d be the smallest as she had such a delay in her growth as a baby chick… wondering for those that also have Lavendar ameraucana’s, if that’s normal too…

Thanks!

 

[My Three Chicks]

Could 'she' be a rooster? Looks like hackle and sickle feathers. May need others to weigh in here. But would help explain the size difference and aggression.

 

[deidreg]

All sounds normal. Pecking order varies too. Your big girl may move down and another move up. I see this in my small flock. Let them be as long as no one gets hurt. Good luck!

 

[aart]

It can be hard to tell with lavenders, they can have some funky feathering, but I'd say that is a cockerel.

 

[3KillerBs]

Am I looking for a specific type of feather in those saddle feathers?

I'm not sure I'm following the breeder's email correctly, but it's impossible to create a barring-based sexlink that's good for more than a single generation.

Lavender is also one of the colors on which it can be impossible or nearly impossible to see either the headspot in the chick down or the barring in the adult feathers.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Oh my I’m not even sure what hackle and sickle feathers are. I’ll have to look this up.

Yes look it up...it's the feathers over the back by the tail and around the neck. Males will have pointy feathers and females will not.

But in any case, don't give up on him/her yet. You won't know for certain until she lays an egg. Or if 'he' crows...although some hens will crow but usually not at an early age (I have an egg-laying Dominique hen that 'crows' occasionally but sounds nothing like a rooster).

(I did read the breeder's response to you. I don't know anything about genetics but it sounds interesting. Lavender Ameraucana is at the top of my wish list. So this is very educational for me too for future purposes.)

Good luck!

 

[sourland]

It can be hard to tell with lavenders, they can have some funky feathering, but I'd say that is a cockerel.

That was my immediate fear.

 

[sourland]

How old is she, and can you post a free standing profile picture of her?

 

[TinaRew]

How old is she, and can you post a free standing profile picture of her?

She’s 21 weeks.

 

[TinaRew]

I think she could well be a he.

Put your hand or a piece of paper under the saddle feathers to get a really good look at their true shape.

Like this:

Am I looking for a specific type of feather in those saddle feathers?