Dominance behavior in month olds?

[Jilara]

I have showgirl and silkie chicks, and am already getting some serious dominance type displays. The silkie I call "Smart Aleck" is starting to go bump chests with some of the other chicks and is becoming very dominant. I think he's a little roo, because this guy has Attitude. But the showgirls are doing this little thing like mock fights, where they face off and fly up in the air at each other. Could these be very young roosters? None of the chicks I've raised previously, which were all pullets, has done anything like this. Is this going to become an issue as they get older? If they're already doing this at just over 4 weeks...eep. (No one told me showgirls fly, either. These guys started practice flying at two weeks!

 

[gritsar]

Chicks start working on the pecking order from day one, so the chest bumping and tussling is normal. Both pullets and cockerels do it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At this age, I think both males amd females display all types of behavior. I don't think agressiveness, curiosity, or dominance displays show which sex they will turn out to be. They are establishing the pecking order, whether male or female. And until a male reached sufficient maturity, it is not at all unusuall for the dominant chicken to be female. I think the roosters tend to face off a tiny bit more than the pullets and I think the ones that run from one end of the brooder to the other with wings flapping tend to be pullets, but I would not use behavior at that age to determine sex. I'd suggest patience and wish you luck!

 

[Ashmeade]

Chicks tend to play too__a lot like puppies.

That being said, we have a muscovy duckling that from day one was agressive and would bite the crap out of us anytime handled. I remember one time in particular that my daughter's boyfriend was moving him across the floor away from something he needed to be moved from and all the while he was knawing on his hand viciously! (he was VERY fierce).

He has since outgrown it more or less and is fine with people (though can be somewhat nippy and IS agressive to our new St. Bernard cross puppy and chases him any opportunity he gets).

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

My bossiest, brattiest chicks so far have been pullets. I tossed one out of a pen into the free range flock one day (about 8 weeks old) because she would bite the snot out of me every time I fed or watered her little group. She chased me into the house for help that afternoon. Back she went in with her group and no further attitude...for a while. Let's just say she's now 13 weeks old and lives outside full time~LOL I sold her hatch mates, but didn't subject the buyer to her grumpy self. She has found a buddy and seems quite happy now.

 

[Soccer Mom]

Yup. What they said. Some are just feisty that way.