Do all chickens REALLY HAVE to have a pecking order?????

[MotherAmanda]

I REALLY DO NOT THINK my chickens have a pecking order!
I NEVER NEVER NEVER see them argue over ANYTHING...EVER.
I watch them OFTEN. Is this possible? I did have 7 of them, and for various reasons am down to 3 right now, but it was never ever ever never because they weren't nice to each other. Even 2 grown ones let babies in their part of the pin without pecking at them. (there was fencing the babies could get through to safety)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There is always a pecking order. You haven't seen it because they grew up together and they all know their place.
Extremely docile birds get along very well, especially when they grow up together. Sometimes grown birds will either ignore or adopt small birds.
If you add a bird to your flock - you'll see pecking order.
If you started with 7 and are down to 3, then they will be a tight group.

 

[gryeyes]

What ChickenCanoe said - ABSOLUTELY.

Plus, the pecking order isn't necessarily a "pick on you" thing, it is just a sort of seniority system.

Roosters are always at the top (but if there are multiple roosters, they have their own pecking order, too, and a lower ranking roo can be lower in rank than a high ranking hen) and the rooster's favorite hen usually roosts right next to him at night. That makes her the highest ranking hen.... Until he chooses another hen as a favorite (which may or may not happen in this or that flock).

But there is ALWAYS a pecking order. Adding or loing a bird will cause the flock to reorganize, although it may simply just move everybody lower up without much fuss. Changing their location - say you move to a new home - starts the reorganization process, too.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Too, they don't have to argue to have a pecking order, body language is everything...

 

[MotherAmanda]

Well thanks for bursting that bubble...jk! But they are good girls. Guess they don't see the point of squabbling. Yay them.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Too, they don't have to argue to have a pecking order, body language is everything...

Sometimes it's just a glare and another backs down.

 

[donrae]

It's not just chickens--all animals, even humans have a "pecking order". Every animal figures out who it's dominant over and submissive to in it's group. Too often, the kids and the dogs are above the parents in the order, imo, but that's kinda off topic......