Chicken grooming behaviour

[ChickenClaw03]

Hi,
I’ve noticed that my chicken at the top of the pecking order likes to clean the other hens when they have food on their beak. The strange part is that the hen with the dirty beak will stand still like a statue and let the dominant hen clean her (she isn’t distressed).

Is this a dominance behaviour or just chickens looking after one another?

 

[My Three Chicks]

I think just chickens looking out for one another since mine do it to each other not in any relation to pecking order. My top will stand still and let the lowest peck food off her beak or face. It's sweet.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's a social activity, many animals like to groom each other and it's beneficial since they obviously can't get food off their own faces. If you watch long enough you'll usually see the same birds teaming up to groom one another.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Mine do that as well. They especially love cleaning the food off of the bearded ladies in the flock haha. Birds and many mammals groom each other as a social and bonding activity!