How intense is your pecking order?

[paintedChix]

Good is debatable. Overly-curious more like. She sticks her nose places it doesn’t belong. Like snake holes

Funny, NOT SO funny!

I have experience w/ this! A newly adopted pooch, spayed @ the clinic i worked at, came home w/ me same day rather than back to the County Shelter. 1st 2 pics "right after" spay surgery, than the result of non-venomous snake bite to her nose w/ a tear & 2 holes seperate from her nostrils.

These pics were well after the actual bite. She'd already had drugs both IV & oral at the ER vet. I think we were at the clinic for 6 hours or so - waiting to see if she'd "normalize"...

I wish I could say she's more careful now, but... We think she's a Corgi/Pomeranian mix.



A full day & a half after the bite.



20 days after snake bite



And most recent shot of her "boopable" nose w/ her partners



EDIT - added note between pics & to say i have to finish this thread before I add my chicken group bullying comments

 

[CHlCKEN]

My birds generally don’t have many issues with the exceptions of everyone getting fed up with any broody birds, and my Sumatra and my Millie Fleur d’Uccle. The Sumatra would absolutely terrorize the bantam, chasing her around the run, pinning her down and dominance mounting— often pulling out hackle feathers in the process. She would do this to her whilst free-ranging in my half acre yard too. Seek her out or follow her around just to continue this harassment. My bantam would literally scream when she was attacked and I was getting ready to rehome the Sumatra when my bantam suddenly fell ill and passed. I’ll definitely never have another Sumatra again. They’re not good with confinement at all and although I try to free range daily, it’s obvious that they, or mine, at least, are just too inclined towards aggression.

 

[AmericanDwarfChicken]

My speckled sussex have calmed down, after 2 years of terrorizing my pekin bantams, and my amberlinks have moved on to assert their dominance with my Chocolate Orpingtons, which doesn’t seem to be working as the orpingtons all end up ganging up on my amberlinks

 

[Pigeony]

My flock dynamics are pretty calm, I have a very mixed-age flock free-ranging on my property- constantly have broodies, chicks, and teenagers. I have a clear Head Hen, I call her the Chicken President (she has a name, but that's her job title). And I have a clear Head Rooster who sticks like glue to the Chicken President. The two of them always seem to be hanging around the broodies and chicks. So that group, broodies and the power couple, seem to be top of the chicken hierarchy. There's two birds who seem to just not be part of the pecking order much at all; one is old and sickly, the other refuses the rooster and prefers human company. Past that, it's age related. Middle-aged birds are dominant over newly laying pullets, and anything younger is near the bottom of the totem pole. Cockerels stay on the absolute bottom of the totem pole and are vaguely bullied by nearly everybody until they reach maturity enough to begin winning over hens with their roosterly magnificence. Which is usually at least 6 months in, before that they'll get their little butts kicked by every hen in the vicinity if they try anything rude, and likely by the older rooster(s) as well. But the pecking order is generally only mildly enforced, unless some young upstart is being particularly disrespectful. Rarely do any of my birds hurt each other in any real way.

 

[Bawkbok]

My flock dynamics are pretty calm, I have a very mixed-age flock free-ranging on my property- constantly have broodies, chicks, and teenagers. I have a clear Head Hen, I call her the Chicken President (she has a name, but that's her job title). And I have a clear Head Rooster who sticks like glue to the Chicken President. The two of them always seem to be hanging around the broodies and chicks. So that group, broodies and the power couple, seem to be top of the chicken hierarchy. There's two birds who seem to just not be part of the pecking order much at all; one is old and sickly, the other refuses the rooster and prefers human company. Past that, it's age related. Middle-aged birds are dominant over newly laying pullets, and anything younger is near the bottom of the totem pole. Cockerels stay on the absolute bottom of the totem pole and are vaguely bullied by nearly everybody until they reach maturity enough to begin winning over hens with their roosterly magnificence. Which is usually at least 6 months in, before that they'll get their little butts kicked by every hen in the vicinity if they try anything rude, and likely by the older rooster(s) as well. But the pecking order is generally only mildly enforced, unless some young upstart is being particularly disrespectful. Rarely do any of my birds hurt each other in any real way.

I enjoyed reading this - you have a keen sense of humor.

Curious to know what breeds / mixes you have and who your best broodies are. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Pigeony]

I enjoyed reading this - you have a keen sense of humor.

Curious to know what breeds / mixes you have and who your best broodies are. Thanks for sharing.

I have mostly Alohas, the Chicken President is a Buff Orpington, she's from before the Aloha times, and the Head Rooster is an Aloha. My best broodies are a trio of Ayam Cemani/Polish mix sisters who more often than not raise their chicks together. The Alohas do go broody as well, some of them are quite good mothers but others are just not. I also have a couple other random hens of other breeds, mostly from before I started specifically keeping Alohas. Of the others, I have 2 EEs, a Cream Legbar, a couple Speckled Sussex, some Mosaics (just at POL), a couple Swedish Orust, and some Olandsk Dwarves (true bantams who barely count because they're kept separately).

 

[Bawkbok]

I have mostly Alohas, the Chicken President is a Buff Orpington, she's from before the Aloha times, and the Head Rooster is an Aloha. My best broodies are a trio of Ayam Cemani/Polish mix sisters who more often than not raise their chicks together. The Alohas do go broody as well, some of them are quite good mothers but others are just not. I also have a couple other random hens of other breeds, mostly from before I started specifically keeping Alohas. Of the others, I have 2 EEs, a Cream Legbar, a couple Speckled Sussex, some Mosaics (just at POL), a couple Swedish Orust, and some Olandsk Dwarves (true bantams who barely count because they're kept separately).

I was not familiar with the Alohas so I read the description. They are gorgeous birds. I like the sound of their temperament and the roosters definitely sound like a good choice for new chickeners inexperienced with roosters. When we get to a place where we can legally have a rooster, I will definitely consider the Aloha.
It sounds like you have a beautiful managerie of color and personalities. Thanks for your response.