Bullying or establishing order?

[JulieCB]

We have six 4.5-week-old chicks, and it has been a peaceable kingdom until today. Our smallest, friendliest, most docile Buff Orpington, Goldie, suddenly started chasing and pecking our biggest, most confident Ameraucana, Dawn (who I was sure was going to be top hen). We've carefully looked Dawn over and can't see any injury or other thing that would set her apart, and none of the other chicks are bothering her. Is this typical behavior to challenge pecking order or something else? Thanks for advising us new chicken enthusiasts.

 

[ANiceKaren]

We have six 4.5-week-old chicks, and it has been a peaceable kingdom until today. Our smallest, friendliest, most docile Buff Orpington, Goldie, suddenly started chasing and pecking our biggest, most confident Ameraucana, Dawn (who I was sure was going to be top hen). We've carefully looked Dawn over and can't see any injury or other thing that would set her apart, and none of the other chicks are bothering her. Is this typical behavior to challenge pecking order or something else? Thanks for advising us new chicken enthusiasts.

Hi! Welcome! While I’m fairly new as well... I would say this is normal establishing behavior and it will continue and change for a while to come! My girls (now 14 weeks) changed “head hen” multiple times during that age. As long as no blood is being drawn or it isn’t overly aggressive, I would say all normal!

 

[aart]

Is this typical behavior to challenge pecking order or something else?

How much space do they have?
Still in a brooder or out int he coop and run?
Dimensions and pics would help here.

 

[JulieCB]

How much space do they have?
Still in a brooder or out int he coop and run?
Dimensions and pics would help here.

Our current schedule is to put them out in their run (8x16) in the morning and they stay there all day. At 8 pm we put them back in their brooder for bedtime, a 3x4 dog crate on our screened porch. We finished up our new coop today (5x5) and will be moving them out there permanently tomorrow. Pictures attached.

 

[aart]

Space seems OK.
Any chance the 'bully' is a male?
Might just have an aggressive bird, it may continue...or not.
At least you've got a crate in case things go bloody.

 

[JulieCB]

I'm posting a follow-up so people searching for answers in the future will know our outcome. I'll never be certain but I think the two chicks in question had it out today. When I went to their run around mid-day it was clear that the chicks were upset about something. Five of the six were huddled together behind a log stump in a comfort pile. The sixth, who was the aggressor in the original post, was lying by herself in a corner of the run. She didn't greet my arrival as usual. I took a good look at both chicks who had been involved in the worrisome behavior and both had a very small scrape at the upper edge of their beak where it joins the comb. I monitored behavior for the rest of the afternoon and didn't see any aggression on anyone's part. The chick who was being picked on seems to be back in her previously dominant position. I'm hopeful this particular episode of conflict is behind us but we'll have to wait and see.