chest bumping?

[eastercreek]

Is the behavior common of both pullets and cockerals? I have a mixture of breeds ranging from 6-7 weeks and there are a couple that have a tendency to ruffle their neck feathers and jump up and chest bump with each other...one typically loses the dominance battle and waddles off to another group.

 

[miss_thenorth]

From what ihave heard, it is usually male thing, but I have had females do this too. Does that help?

 

[dsqard]

It is their way of working out the "pecking order". Yes both pullets and cockerels do this so you can relax. You don't have a brooder full of boys!

I have been watching my 11 chicks do this for a couple weeks. It cracks me up every time to see the chicks doing it.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

It is hillarious to watch. Mine don't do it anymore now that they are grown. I'm sorry I didn't video tape it when they were younger. Dub in some funny voice over and you'd have a winner.

 

[eastercreek]

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I may just do that

 

[gumpsgirl]

I have found it to be normal with both cockerels and pullets, yes. I think it's just a "roo" thing for the cockerels, but I have found it to be a pecking order type thing with the pullets. They have to establish dominance, silly things.

 

[hansolo]

Thank god...

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[ThinkingChickens]

I have three girls, all about 10 weeks old. They do this from time to time with each other. They puff up, stand tall and chest bump. It's mostly the top two trying to make sure they've established who the top girl is. The third, the super shy one (Barred Rock) doesn't really participate much.

 

[lulubird]

My girls did the chest bumping thing up until they were about 12 weeks old. We have wild turkeys that wander through our yard, and I caught one of my pullets trying to chest bump one. She sort of panicked as she was flying up to try to do the bump and flapped away frantically.

The turkey completely ignored her.

 

[hansolo]

I have the exact situation. Mine maybe 9 weeks. 2 out of 3 roos wont be good

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