Hi there! I have learnt a lot about chicken behaviors over the last few years, from reading and observing and I would like to share my knowledge in the form of a little guide on chicken social status. Enjoy. Feel free to comment on anything or ask any questions.
Head Rooster/Cockerel: "The Big Man", he gets first pick at everything, from food to roosting to mating hens, he is usually the strongest of all the chickens, most sexually mature and the best looking. However, it is his job to protect the flock, that means watching out for predators, alerting the others and he may risk his life for the hens. Head Roosters don't tend show aggression to other Roosters, but will get aggressive if other hen's are nearby or if he is being challenged by a unknown Rooster. On the family side, he doesn't do much parenting and will usually go about his daily business while his hen broods her eggs. On certain occasions however, it has been reported that Roosters can encourage the hen to brood and will sit on the eggs in a nest box he has chosen for the her. They should not be kept near chicks but a rooster is sometimes helpful to stop the other hens from attacking the new mother.
Head Hen: "The dominant girl", she is the female counterpart to the Head Rooster, she gets first pick on everything, if the Rooster lets her however. She is determined generally by scrapping with the hens (pecking and flapping) until a winner is chosen, this can take a while, as all hens want that top spot with the Roo! She has less bonuses than the Rooster but does not need to protect her fellow flock mates. She is usually the most outgoing and will have a group of hens behind her (her "posse" as some people call it) to whom she can pull rank with and assert her dominance. The Head Hen is usually the Rooster's favorite and they will mate often. However, it is not always her that becomes broody, it is the more mature but lower hens that will happily sit on another's eggs. Like most hens, she is a threat to new born chicks so it is best she has no contact with chicks other than her own. Note: In an absence of Rooster, the head hen may take up the Rooster's protection role and try everything to protect her flock, but this is unlikely in most flocks.
Lowers: "In the middle hens", they are not the top of the flock but not the bottom either. They are generally the chickens that go about their daily lives and are the friendliest to humans. They take up the mothering role and will hatch chicks for you on most occasions, they are very protective other their chicks too, and will challenge even the top birds in order to protect the chicks. Aside from that, they tend to live a happy live within their flock and are protected by their 'heads' (not literally!)
Romeos: "The dark horses", the Romeos are the Cockerels, whom are young and a bit wild. They aren't well respected within the chicken flock but have the strength to take care of themselves; therefore their rank order can be sporadic. They will challenge the Head Rooster a lot, especially when the girls are around! Don't worry though, the Rooster will usually put them in their place so fighting is not a major concern unless there is blood drawn. Aside from their crazy lifestyle, they can be prime targets for predators and lack the experience or sensibility of a mature chicken. On the bright side, they do liven up the flock a bit!
Oldies: "The old-timers", these chickens are similar to the Lowers and are sweet and loved by their owners. Oldies have not reached the very top but are generally well-accepted in the flock. They can be Roosters or Hens They will happily sleep, feed, peck, range all day long. Due to their age, they may not be the best layers or could have stopped altogether. Despite this, they tend to make the best parents and are veterans in the brooding world, use them for all-year hatching.
Underdogs: "The lowest of all", they are chickens that typically last to feed and never get the best roosting spot. They are particularly unloved by most of the flock and the occasional pecking may be given to them. Nevertheless, they are a definite rank in a flock, and will still be protected by the rooster and hen, even if they are not chosen for mating. On a general sense, they are identified as either very young or new to a flock and they are trying to climb their way up to reach the head rank or anything close to it. On the other side of that, they can be different to their fellow flock mates by breed or have unusual characteristics, be ill or even be just too nice to stand up for themselves! Orpingtons, Polish and Silkies are notorious in a mixed flock for this rank, but it has not stopped some from reaching high positions. They can make good mothers but are unlikely to lay fertile eggs therefore making them a surrogate is a good choice. On a positive note, they are usually the favorites of the flock owner due to their unfortunate rank and can get a treat here and there!
*A Rooster-less Flock
Sometimes, poultry owners do not need a rooster as they do not require breeding of chickens. In a flock without a rooster, there is usually a Head Hen, Lowers, Oldies and Underdogs. A flock without Roosters is usually less organized and each hen has more flexibility, as it is the Rooster that maintain the highest rank possible. Flock owners should be aware that hens may feel unprotected unless one hen wishes to protect her flock. On certain occasions, there may be more than one dominant hen. Still, despite the lack of a male in the group, pullets can cause a stir of aggression too, other factor such as roosting places and nesting boxes. Like cockerels, pullets can either fight their way to top or slowly advance with age. It is unlikely that pullets reach the top rank, as they lack the experience and maturity. This is a natural selection process in which the older hens are at an advantage. On a side note, the productivity of hen flock is greater than a mixed flock, as hens are less likely to be broody, eat much less, provide a good supply of eggs and are more peaceful.
The pecking occurs when chickens are doing simple things like eating or drinking, a hen will peck another to assert authority and the right to eat or drink first. However, owners should intervene when things take a turn for the worse, feathers are lost and blood is drawn. To combat this, use anti-peck spray or powder, which is widely available and will help ease tensions between flock members. The spray could also be used on new pullets, to avoid extreme pecking from hens, therefore it will secure their safety when the owner is not around. Generally, a flock with the absence of a rooster lacks the tight formation and protection but instead gives friendlier hens and a more productive flock.
What affects change in Rank
There are many things that could affect rank order, but to summarize, it is likely to be the following.
1) Death. When chickens die the flock loses a member and chickens may want that new, available position. This can cause a domino effect and shake up the flock even more. Luckily, it doesn't take long before everything settles down again.
2) Mothers. Taking hens away from the flock to quietly hatch out chicks with better protection than the coop will help the new chicks tremendously. They can be safe from jealous hens and the mother has the space to teach them the laws of life.
3) Pullets or Cockerels. Like the Romeos, these feisty young females will naturally try to take a high rank in a flock. They may be successful but usually take a lower rank until they mature a bit. Roosters can get very hyper with new girls on the block, while hens get very defensive over each other and may get aggressive with the pullets. Sometimes a slow integration will aid both pullet and hen to become friendlier than just throwing in a bunch of pullets into the coop.
4) Illness. Yep, sounds unusual right? Why would an illness affect their ranks? Well, when a chicken gets ill, a natural instinct kicks off in the others when they notice their ill friend. Instead of comforting it they usually dispel it or sometimes peck it. They do this not be nasty but to protect the flock by dispelling the ill. Illness can be the Head Hen's and Rooster's downfall when they drop from top to the very bottom! Recovery will help them get back up and into the social order again.
5) Environment. When you put a flock of chickens into a new coop or garden, the flock naturally wants to change too. This doesn't lead to much in the end with only a couple of hens having a different rank than previously.
So to conclude, there are many different roles in a flock which are equally important. There also certain factors in a flock that can change the pecking order. Thank you for reading and I hope you have learnt something from this. Please could you answer my poll, be honest! Many thanks, feel free to ask any questions or leave comments.
Flock (noun): "A group of animals that live, travel, or feed together".
Within a flock, social relationships form between chickens, like humans and many other animals. However, for chickens these social relationships help create a strong, tight flock, which would have been essential for survival (back when they were truly wild!). Flocks used to consist of about 5-8 chickens who were related and the same breed of the chicken. Nowadays, with domesticated chickens, people can edit or modify their flocks, adding different breeds and unrelated chickens into a group. Flocks can consist of just 3 chickens to wild numbers such as 80. Usually, flocks above 50 can make "mini flocks" appear when there are too many chickens to maintain order. A domesticated flock does not need a male (Rooster) and a female (Hen) to form, although it is very difficult to maintain a group of Roosters due to fighting and aggression. A group of hens however can form a sensible pecking order, with a dominant hen and the "lowers" and then the "lowest". Sometimes, it can be good for poultry owners not to have a Rooster do get aggressive with hens and the owner. On the other hand, owners may notice that a hen takes up the role of the rooster (see the roles section).
The Roles in a Flock
Now, let's discuss the roles in a flock. Every chicken has a place in a flock, whether good or bad, it is how nature made them to survive and breed. Here is what a typical flock consists of:
Head Rooster/Cockerel: "The Big Man", he gets first pick at everything, from food to roosting to mating hens, he is usually the strongest of all the chickens, most sexually mature and the best looking. However, it is his job to protect the flock, that means watching out for predators, alerting the others and he may risk his life for the hens. Head Roosters don't tend show aggression to other Roosters, but will get aggressive if other hen's are nearby or if he is being challenged by a unknown Rooster. On the family side, he doesn't do much parenting and will usually go about his daily business while his hen broods her eggs. On certain occasions however, it has been reported that Roosters can encourage the hen to brood and will sit on the eggs in a nest box he has chosen for the her. They should not be kept near chicks but a rooster is sometimes helpful to stop the other hens from attacking the new mother.
Head Hen: "The dominant girl", she is the female counterpart to the Head Rooster, she gets first pick on everything, if the Rooster lets her however. She is determined generally by scrapping with the hens (pecking and flapping) until a winner is chosen, this can take a while, as all hens want that top spot with the Roo! She has less bonuses than the Rooster but does not need to protect her fellow flock mates. She is usually the most outgoing and will have a group of hens behind her (her "posse" as some people call it) to whom she can pull rank with and assert her dominance. The Head Hen is usually the Rooster's favorite and they will mate often. However, it is not always her that becomes broody, it is the more mature but lower hens that will happily sit on another's eggs. Like most hens, she is a threat to new born chicks so it is best she has no contact with chicks other than her own. Note: In an absence of Rooster, the head hen may take up the Rooster's protection role and try everything to protect her flock, but this is unlikely in most flocks.
Lowers: "In the middle hens", they are not the top of the flock but not the bottom either. They are generally the chickens that go about their daily lives and are the friendliest to humans. They take up the mothering role and will hatch chicks for you on most occasions, they are very protective other their chicks too, and will challenge even the top birds in order to protect the chicks. Aside from that, they tend to live a happy live within their flock and are protected by their 'heads' (not literally!)
Romeos: "The dark horses", the Romeos are the Cockerels, whom are young and a bit wild. They aren't well respected within the chicken flock but have the strength to take care of themselves; therefore their rank order can be sporadic. They will challenge the Head Rooster a lot, especially when the girls are around! Don't worry though, the Rooster will usually put them in their place so fighting is not a major concern unless there is blood drawn. Aside from their crazy lifestyle, they can be prime targets for predators and lack the experience or sensibility of a mature chicken. On the bright side, they do liven up the flock a bit!
Oldies: "The old-timers", these chickens are similar to the Lowers and are sweet and loved by their owners. Oldies have not reached the very top but are generally well-accepted in the flock. They can be Roosters or Hens They will happily sleep, feed, peck, range all day long. Due to their age, they may not be the best layers or could have stopped altogether. Despite this, they tend to make the best parents and are veterans in the brooding world, use them for all-year hatching.
Underdogs: "The lowest of all", they are chickens that typically last to feed and never get the best roosting spot. They are particularly unloved by most of the flock and the occasional pecking may be given to them. Nevertheless, they are a definite rank in a flock, and will still be protected by the rooster and hen, even if they are not chosen for mating. On a general sense, they are identified as either very young or new to a flock and they are trying to climb their way up to reach the head rank or anything close to it. On the other side of that, they can be different to their fellow flock mates by breed or have unusual characteristics, be ill or even be just too nice to stand up for themselves! Orpingtons, Polish and Silkies are notorious in a mixed flock for this rank, but it has not stopped some from reaching high positions. They can make good mothers but are unlikely to lay fertile eggs therefore making them a surrogate is a good choice. On a positive note, they are usually the favorites of the flock owner due to their unfortunate rank and can get a treat here and there!
*A Rooster-less Flock
The pecking occurs when chickens are doing simple things like eating or drinking, a hen will peck another to assert authority and the right to eat or drink first. However, owners should intervene when things take a turn for the worse, feathers are lost and blood is drawn. To combat this, use anti-peck spray or powder, which is widely available and will help ease tensions between flock members. The spray could also be used on new pullets, to avoid extreme pecking from hens, therefore it will secure their safety when the owner is not around. Generally, a flock with the absence of a rooster lacks the tight formation and protection but instead gives friendlier hens and a more productive flock.
What affects change in Rank
1) Death. When chickens die the flock loses a member and chickens may want that new, available position. This can cause a domino effect and shake up the flock even more. Luckily, it doesn't take long before everything settles down again.
2) Mothers. Taking hens away from the flock to quietly hatch out chicks with better protection than the coop will help the new chicks tremendously. They can be safe from jealous hens and the mother has the space to teach them the laws of life.
3) Pullets or Cockerels. Like the Romeos, these feisty young females will naturally try to take a high rank in a flock. They may be successful but usually take a lower rank until they mature a bit. Roosters can get very hyper with new girls on the block, while hens get very defensive over each other and may get aggressive with the pullets. Sometimes a slow integration will aid both pullet and hen to become friendlier than just throwing in a bunch of pullets into the coop.
4) Illness. Yep, sounds unusual right? Why would an illness affect their ranks? Well, when a chicken gets ill, a natural instinct kicks off in the others when they notice their ill friend. Instead of comforting it they usually dispel it or sometimes peck it. They do this not be nasty but to protect the flock by dispelling the ill. Illness can be the Head Hen's and Rooster's downfall when they drop from top to the very bottom! Recovery will help them get back up and into the social order again.
5) Environment. When you put a flock of chickens into a new coop or garden, the flock naturally wants to change too. This doesn't lead to much in the end with only a couple of hens having a different rank than previously.
So to conclude, there are many different roles in a flock which are equally important. There also certain factors in a flock that can change the pecking order. Thank you for reading and I hope you have learnt something from this. Please could you answer my poll, be honest! Many thanks, feel free to ask any questions or leave comments.
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