Do pecking order fights normally include shaking the other chicken?

[NewZealandChickenOwner]

Recently I got 2 new, barred rock hens. They were kept in a run with a covered cage to live in for an isolation period. This run is next door to the Wyandotte's chicken house, with an door between.
The new hens were let into the adjoining coop for the night but separated in the daytime. In hindsight, this was a bad idea.

A barred rock was already on the perch for the night, then an Wyandotte hen jumped up. The new hen grabbed the Wyandotte's comb and shook the Wyandotte like a dog shaking a rat. The victim's neck was twisting in all directions. The hen tried to escape via flapping their wings. I had to grab the Wyandotte hen to seperate them. Once outside the new hen restarted the attack, until they were separated again.

I have had pecking order fights before, which involving chickens kicking each other, batting their wings, pecking each other, biting each others combs and chasing each other, but no vigorous shaking.

Is this normal pecking order fight behaviour or is this over the top?

 

[azygous]

Short answer, yes, it's within the range of normal pecking order disputes. But, aggression involves so many factors that you really can't label a behavior as one or the other until it reaches the extreme point of the aggressor standing on top of the victim and hammering them with a beak.

Can you post a photo of the Wyandotte victim's comb? Some Wyandotte combs have a long "tail" extending beyond the back of the head. This provides a handle for an aggressor to grab and it can result in severe injuries. I had a Wyandotte hen that an aggressor detached the comb and left it dangling. After several "scalpings", I dubbed the tail close to her head and that solved the problem.

Barred Rocks are an aggressive breed. When they join a flock of more docile breeds, you often see aggression. Hopefully, as the new hens become more secure in their new home, their aggression will lessen.

I wrote an article on introducing an adult hen to an existing flock. You might glean some tips from it. The point is to provide safety for all by keeping them apart, yet visible, while everyone becomes familiar and comfortable. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/