I have a small flock of 4, young (between 3-4.5 months old) chickens. One of them (sex TBD) seems to lay low- then almost stalk the others, and charge them if they flap their wings wrong or move to quickly...if the one who was charged doesn't really respond, this chicken will go after whoever is closest next! Things usually calm down within a few minutes, and i haven't had any injuries yet, but every once in a while someone will stand up to my charging chicken and we have feet in the air and pecking and flapping... I'm a complete newbie to this (2 full weeks with my flock tomorrow!) so I was just wondering if this is normal behavior of a bully hen, or a sign of a rooster??? the other three seem happy to peck away all day, but this one always stirs things up!!! Help!!!
Your rabble rouser may not be a roo. All chickens do that when they are feeling frisky. It's very interesting to watch and cracks me up when they do that. We call it "The stalking chicken, pouncing bird" pose in chicken kung-fu.
I was afraid it may be a rooster by looks anyway (it's a silkie, so who ever knows?!?!) but I'm relieved to hear that could be "fun" for them... I have to say it doesn't look fun for the chosen "prey" though... they run and hunker down and they do get pecked sometimes. Silly silkie looks like he/she is running around like "who wants a piece'a me? you wanna piece of me? I didn't think you wanted a piece'a me!" sheesh...
I had a Barred Rock pullet who did this as a young chick. She would bump chests and stuff with the other girls in my brooder. The one cockerel I did have was the same way, but I don't want bulliness as an automatic sign of gender. I have had plenty of hens who could and did kick chicken butt. LOL
I just let my 26 Black Stars loose in the yard and they are having a great time playing this "chicken" game. Perfectly normal to have them run at each other, bump chests or veer off--may be their first steps in establishing a pecking order or it may be a game chicks play--their version of dodge ball.
