Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

Thanks. How about the way they interact with different levels within the hierarchy? The part I find most interesting is that they are more tough on those directly benesth them than they are on those a few steps lower. Perhaps because those right under them could potentially dethrone them?

In general what I saw was the number two did most of the rule enforcement.
The shite travels downhill stuff tended to be more about the relationship between the pair.
I'm still trying to work out where everyone is in the hierachy with the Ex Batts and rescues.
Matilda the white sussex seems to be the top hen. Whether this is because she is Henry's daughter, or because she is the largest, or even because she is or was Henry's favourite, I'm not sure about. It could be a combination of them all.
What is obvious is nobody messes with Matilda. I've seen no signs that she is a bully. Her best friend is probably cloud although she got along well with Volt when Volt was active inn the group. I don't know how old Henry or Matilda are. More than 4 years old I would guess from what little history I know.
The Legbars are a sub group on their own and seem to have their own order within their group. Both Fret and Cloud are part of their group but come and go between Henry and Matilda.
All the grey group should have been in the picture. That's Fret moving away top right and Similie, Lima's bestie has just gone to the right to join Lima.
Lima and Similie are the pair that break the pattern. It will be interesting to see what happens when Lima finishes her moult and will look much like the rest of the Golden Comets.

 

[MaryJanet]

In general what I saw was the number two did most of the rule enforcement.
The shite travels downhill stuff tended to be more about the relationship between the pair.
I'm still trying to work out where everyone is in the hierachy with the Ex Batts and rescues.
Matilda the white sussex seems to be the top hen. Whether this is because she is Henry's daughter, or because she is the largest, or even because she is or was Henry's favourite, I'm not sure about. It could be a combination of them all.
What is obvious is nobody messes with Matilda. I've seen no signs that she is a bully. Her best friend is probably cloud although she got along well with Volt when Volt was active inn the group. I don't know how old Henry or Matilda are. More than 4 years old I would guess from what little history I know.
The Legbars are a sub group on their own and seem to have their own order within their group. Both Fret and Cloud are part of their group but come and go between Henry and Matilda.
All the grey group should have been in the picture. That's Fret moving away top right and Similie, Lima's bestie has just gone to the right to join Lima.
Lima and Similie are the pair that break the pattern. It will be interesting to see what happens when Lima finishes her moult and will look much like the rest of the Golden Comets.
View attachment 2896663

I'm also looking forward to seeing Lima fully feathered. It'll be quite a comparison.

 

[Shadrach]

The potential dethroning is my newbie (ie pretty ignorant) theory. (Edit: I think Bob clued me in on this.)The ones right beneath them are by position the biggest "threat." Though keeping the lower ones in place also occurs. But this begs the question has anyone seen a chicken suddenly ascend in rank by leaps rather than working their way up past others one at a time? Guessing it would occur if some in the upper echelons we're wiped out maybe. What about when a hen stops laying due to age?

Sort of. When a cockerel is chucked out of a tribe or leaves the more junior hens are the ones he tries to attract. He knows that the senior ones will not leave their rooster in most circumstances. It seems strange, but the hens that leave the rooster make an immediate jump in standing because they become senior hens in a different tribe.

 

[Ribh]

So I’ve been wanting to tell you guys about this all day, but I type with a single thumb on my phone and it’s very slow. Besides, I did not want to take my attention off the girls with hawks lurking nearby.

I did have an opportunity to just sit and watch the girls during free range time. They were nervous and didn’t venture very far out, but I was watching them in the one semi-dry patch of earth to dust bathe in.

Pecking order and flock dynamics are so very interesting. I have found that the hens only tend to discipline and peck at those directly beneath them in the pecking order. A step or two down, and they tend to let it go. For example, Bridge, who is generally pretty gentle, can be a bit rough on Buttercup, who is pretty high in the order, but not top hen. Bridge is top hen. However, Bridge will tolerate the “babies” eating right out of her same dish, especially Flo. I have already mentioned that Flo is an alpha in the making. She is in full molt, very nervous, and a bit standoffish. However, today I saw her challenge Bridge, raising her hackle feathers. Bridge did not submit, but did tolerate her. It was super interesting. Almost like Flo was her little prodigy.

Bridge decides who roost with her. Sometimes it surprises me when she allows the babies to roost beside her, but not Buttercup or anyone in that age group.

In my flock, pecking order is primarily dictated by age. Then within each age group, there is a pecking order, as well. Bridge is my only five and a half year old hen, and she is the alpha. After Bridge, there are the four-year-olds, who consist of Millie, Roxy, Cashew, Buttercup, and Lucky. Out of that group, Buttercup is by far the most bossy. However, Cashew clearly outranks her. After that, there are the two year olds. I only have Minnie and Ester left, since Dorothy passed away. Minnie outranks Ester, quite obviously. Finally, there are the one year-olds, who I call the babies. Flo is by far the top of that group. I think one day she will be the alpha. I have never seen a hen take their first hard molt as well as she is. She is quite robust! Poor Flash is definitely at the bottom. A couple of the higher, but not super highly ranked girls torment her a bit.

Sorry about the rambling, but I’m curious to hear from those who only keep hens and have a range of ages. How does the pecking order go in your flock?

Edited to add; Wait. Prodigy is not the word I’m looking for, but hopefully you get the idea.

Like you I have a hen only tribe of roughly 20 birds of different ages & intakes but my observation is much more along @MaryJanet's observations. The girls are very eglatarian. Soda, one of my older hens & certainly my biggest is top with Hepzibah & Luna but it is extremely rare to see any hen really exerting dominance. A lot seems to do with the personality of the individual hen. Olivia, for example, is a friendly, confident,happy, energetic chicken whom nobody dislikes or picks on. Beatha is standoffish & as a whole is not popular with the girls. Oshina is reserved & quite timid & is @ the bottom of the tribe. The Wyandottes are large confident girls so despite being amongst the youngest hens are very much middle order girls likely to take over one day.

 

[rural mouse]

Then only drive, where there’s no one else on the road! (Do I have to think of everything?) …..

The deer don't start on the road. They jump out at you.

 

[MaryJanet]

Sort of. When a cockerel is chucked out of a tribe or leaves the more junior hens are the ones he tries to attract. He knows that the senior ones will not leave their rooster in most circumstances. It seems strange, but the hens that leave the rooster make an immediate jump in standing because they become senior hens in a different tribe.

So this gave me a thought: hen pecking plays into the survival of the species by pushing younger ones out to join a new tribe. Does that make sense to anyone else?

 

[rural mouse]

I just keep my phone unplugged but that idea is too good not to try!
Before my Dad died he got lots of calls and would pick up and ask them for their home number.

I usually answer in a language NOT english..or Spanish, or easily recognized: (translated) hello, who is this? What do you want?

I've had responses such as:

Is there someone in the house who speaks English?

What language are you speaking?

.......um, if I am not speaking English, what makes you think I'll understand your questions in English?
My typical response is : (again translated) I don't speak that language. I don't understand you.

They usually hang up. I've occupied some of their time in ways that increase the odds of NOT hearing from that one again.

Should you do the political donations, let me know how it goes. I figured if they responded with a party, then ask if they wanted it at the federal, state, county or city level. Follow that with requesting a card number from them (turn the number in to the police if it got that far).

 

[Ribh]

The potential dethroning is my newbie (ie pretty ignorant) theory. (Edit: I think Bob clued me in on this.)The ones right beneath them are by position the biggest "threat." Though keeping the lower ones in place also occurs. But this begs the question has anyone seen a chicken suddenly ascend in rank by leaps rather than working their way up past others one at a time? Guessing it would occur if some in the upper echelons we're wiped out maybe. What about when a hen stops laying due to age?

Yes. I was saying to Michelle a lot seems to do with personality ~ @ least in my tribe. My last 2 intakes included 2 standard Wyandotte frizzles. Portia just assumed she was a high ranking hen & immediately began roosting with the Big Girls. She is very high up the order & any putting her down stopped as soon as she began laying. Shuri is about to go the same way. She is close to laying & already no longer a lower order girl. Both hens have quite dominant personalities & are super confident hens. My Campines, who are older & smarter are also really scatty & don't seem to care one way or another about where they sit within the tribe but they are very good @ getting what they want anyway.

 

[MaryJanet]

Like you I have a hen only tribe of roughly 20 birds of different ages & intakes but my observation is much more along @MaryJanet's observations. The girls are very eglatarian. Soda, one of my older hens & certainly my biggest is top with Hepzibah & Luna but it is extremely rare to see any hen really exerting dominance. A lot seems to do with the personality of the individual hen. Olivia, for example, is a friendly, confident,happy, energetic chicken whom nobody dislikes or picks on. Beatha is standoffish & as a whole is not popular with the girls. Oshina is reserved & quite timid & is @ the bottom of the tribe. The Wyandottes are large confident girls so despite being amongst the youngest hens are very much middle order girls likely to take over one day.

That's interesting because I was putting the peacefulness down to two years of living together but your youngest joined the tribe much more recently than that.

 

[Shadrach]

So this gave me a thought: hen pecking plays into the survival of the species by pushing younger ones out to join a new tribe. Does that make sense to anyone else?

Yes that makes sense but it's not through hen pecking in feral flocks or jungle fowl. There is no pecking order as such in jungle fowl because the usual arrangements is one rooster and one hen. Their offspring may stay in the tribe for a while it seems from what few studies have been written about it.
Sometimes the rooster moves on to find another hen; other times a pair may stay together for nobody knows how long. There have been reports of chicken couples staying together for a number of years.
My friend in Finland has feral couples that have been together for at least six years.
While not really possible, cfonts is in the best position to observe feral groups.