Chest bumping question

[dmartin101]

Two of my Silver Laced Wyandottes chest bump each other but only when I let them out of the coop into the yard. Inside the coop I don’t see many pecking order behaviors from any of the girls other than just a little bit of chasing and wing flapping. But as soon as let them out in the yard, they go crazy - chest bumping, running at each other, and fluffing up their neck feathers like in the picture. They don’t do any of this inside the coop.

What do you think is going on? Is it something about being a new location?

I have 5 Wyandottes and 3 Speckled Sussex. The SS seem to be at the bottom of the pecking order. And the two Wyandottes doing the chest bumping seem to be fighting for the top bird position.

They’re 4.5 months old and I’ve just started letting them out of the coop for a little bit in the morning and at night when I’m there to supervise. I love seeing them enjoy some free range time.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Do you have a run attached to the coop, and you're just letting them out to free range; or do you mean they've been in the coop since you brought them home and are now getting to come out? (No problem, just trying to get the picture. You supervise and have likely made sure your yard is predator-proof, so a run isn't necessary.)

Yes, it sounds like normal pecking order behavior since their environment changed. They've established their places inside, now it's a re-set of the pecking order. I'd say that looks like roosters facing off, but they DO look like pullets. Girls fight, too LOL

Can you tell which is which? Watch closely or band one differently so you can see if one of them is doing most of the bullying. If it doesn't settle down soon, you may have to remove the offender. You could try isolating her (bully) in a kennel for a few days to remove her place in the pecking order. This sometimes works, I hear.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

How big is your coop? If they've felt cramped, it could be just letting off some steam and stress out in the yard.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are just jousting for dominance, establishing a 'pecking order'.
It will eventually subside when one finally yields.

 

[Matejka]

I believe the boys are trying to determine who the top cock will be.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I thought they were hens.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I thought they were hens.

They do look like hens.

 

[dmartin101]

Do you have a run attached to the coop, and you're just letting them out to free range; or do you mean they've been in the coop since you brought them home and are now getting to come out? (No problem, just trying to get the picture. You supervise and have likely made sure your yard is predator-proof, so a run isn't necessary.)

Yes, it sounds like normal pecking order behavior since their environment changed. They've established their places inside, now it's a re-set of the pecking order. I'd say that looks like roosters facing off, but they DO look like pullets. Girls fight, too LOL

Can you tell which is which? Watch closely or band one differently so you can see if one of them is doing most of the bullying. If it doesn't settle down soon, you may have to remove the offender. You could try isolating her (bully) in a kennel for a few days to remove her place in the pecking order. This sometimes works, I hear.

Yes we have an attached run. They don’t do any of this inside the run. Funny girls.
I have them banded and it’s the same two squaring off against each other. They’re definitely the two most curious / least cautious.

 

[dmartin101]

How big is your coop? If they've felt cramped, it could be just letting off some steam and stress out in the yard.

Our attached run is about 8x20 which I thought would be plenty of space for 8 hens.

 

[dmartin101]

They are just jousting for dominance, establishing a 'pecking order'.
It will eventually subside when one finally yields.

The same one usually backs down, but they still do it several times whoever I let them out. I just thought it’s weird that they don’t do it in the henhouse or the run.