An Unusual Chicken Interlude

[Grace11]

Yesterday, I watched something that has me baffled as to what was going on. It took place between an SLW and 2 RIR pullets. The SLW had stopped midstride in between the 2 RIRs and her stance was a confidant one with head and tail up. The 2 RIRs were lightly pecking at her beak, they would tilt their heads this way and that and lightly peck some more at her beak.
This was not any kind of attack thing or done toughly as with the bangs on the head for those lesser in the pecking order. It lasted for at least 3 minutes with that SLW standing totally stock still-frozen like a statue- for the whole thing, she even closed her eyes for a few seconds at one point. I was totally mesmerized since it seemed very gentle and almost a loving thing.....
It was so strange that I wanted to see if anyone had seen this sort of activity before....

 

[andi6313]

Wow, I bet that was amazing to watch! The only time I've seen my chickens pick at each others beeks were when they had food on them! LOL! I wished some chicken whisperer here in the forum could answer this question, I'm curious too!

 

[Den in Penn]

I have seen one hen gently peck another's beak. I assumed it is a sign of respect or affection. I don't know that I have seen it being done by a higher ranking hen to an inferior. I could be wrong about that though.

 

[HEChicken]

They are cleaning her beak - if she has a little food on it, one of the others will clean it off for her. Win-win - one hen ends up with a clean beak and the other gets a little treat to eat.

In my first flock, my RIR was my designated "beak cleaner". Each evening before they went into the coop, the other hens would all stand still and wait for the RIR to do the rounds. She would clean each other hen's beak one at a time and when she was done, the hen would go in and jump up on the roost. I always wondered who cleaned the RIR's beak as I never saw any of the others help her out. In my current flock, which consists of many more birds, there isn't so much a designated beak cleaner, as several birds who will help out the others when need arises.

 

[Grace11]

They are cleaning her beak - if she has a little food on it, one of the others will clean it off for her. Win-win - one hen ends up with a clean beak and the other gets a little treat to eat.

In my first flock, my RIR was my designated "beak cleaner". Each evening before they went into the coop, the other hens would all stand still and wait for the RIR to do the rounds. She would clean each other hen's beak one at a time and when she was done, the hen would go in and jump up on the roost. I always wondered who cleaned the RIR's beak as I never saw any of the others help her out. In my current flock, which consists of many more birds, there isn't so much a designated beak cleaner, as several birds who will help out the others when need arises.

This is all so interesting! Normally they are yanking seemingly choice bits FROM the other birds beaks and running off.