I HATE the “pecking order”!

[z3lda3]

I hate the pecking order. I’ve got a flock of 25. And they’re really friendly docile chickens, no bully’s. Until… every time a hen is broody or sick or whatever the case, and need to be separated from the flock, once returned, that hateful pecking order cr*p starts. I hate watching them pecked or chased off. I know it’s normal, and only lasts a few days but I still hate it. It turns my sweetest hens into buttfaces. My primary rooster breaks up hen squabbles unless it’s a pecking order situation, then he just watches and walks off. There’s no injuries or anything, it just stinks! I just needed to vent. Sigh chickens are weirdly complex.

 

[Livia Ammon]

I completely agree. I got a new chicken recently who is a bit of a jerk. She chose an enormous roosting spot and will chase the other hens out of it, even if they were there first! She got here just 2 weeks ago, but she’s risen to the top

 

[z3lda3]

I completely agree. I got a new chicken recently who is a bit of a jerk. She chose an enormous roosting spot and will chase the other hens out of it, even if they were there first! She got here just 2 weeks ago, but she’s risen to the top

I’m not a chicken but it seems unnecessary to me. I’ve got a new mama, reintegrated into the flock, she’ll be dirt bathing, and another hen will boot her out of her hole. There’s tons of other holes!!! And these girls were flock mates since day one! Or mama will be eating and get chased off. Again plenty of other feeders.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I believe the pecking order is a survival strategy. Junglefowl didn't exist as solitary beings, they're social animals, and the health of the entire tribe matters for the survival of their species. By the strongest chickens eating first, drinking first, getting the most mates, and roosting the highest they ensure the survival of the healthiest genetics. It's a survival strategy for living in a savage jungle

 

[z3lda3]

I believe the pecking order is a survival strategy. Junglefowl didn't exist as solitary beings, they're social animals, and the health of the entire tribe matters for the survival of their species. By the strongest chickens eating first, drinking first, getting the most mates, and roosting the highest they ensure the survival of the healthiest genetics. It's a survival strategy for living in a savage jungle

Oh I’m sure there’s biological reason for it, but getting a specific dirt hole isn’t for survival it’s just being a buttface. I don’t intervene I let my chickens chicken, but I hate it!

 

[Evadig]

Oh I’m sure there’s biological reason for it, but getting a specific dirt hole isn’t for survival it’s just being a buttface. I don’t intervene I let my chickens chicken, but I hate it!

Me too. The pecking order takes most of the pleasure out of chicken keeping.

 

[RoyalChick]

I almost never separate a hen.
I have a dog cage set up in the coop if I need to break a broody for example.
I can use it as a hospital if I have to. But I try not to separate sick chickens because I believe mental health is important to recovery and for chickens that means being part of the flock.
My exception would be wounds which they might peck and in that case I would use the dog crate.

 

[z3lda3]

I almost never separate a hen.
I have a dog cage set up in the coop if I need to break a broody for example.
I can use it as a hospital if I have to. But I try not to separate sick chickens because I believe mental health is important to recovery and for chickens that means being part of the flock.
My exception would be wounds which they might peck and in that case I would use the dog crate.

You are 100% correct. Hens and roosters want to be with the flock. With my broodies if they’re going to hatch a clutch, I try my best to keep them with the flock. It’s just easier and better that way. In this recent case, my bantam hen laid a few eggs that weren’t fertilized (I don’t know why) on her 26th day on the nest, I happened to get 8 chicks, standard Plymouth barred rocks. She adopted them perfectly! But she’s so small, she couldn’t cover them all. Instead of separating the babies I just made her a brooder with a heat lamp in my basement. If I had to do it over again, I would’ve used a heat plate and kept them in a brooder in the coop.
And I had a sick hen, vet said bronchitis. It was my first sick chicken, and I brought her in to make sure she took her meds and keep an eye on her. After a few days, once she was eating and drinking again, I did take her back to the flock. I know this will sound crazy but I swear she was sad. She wanted her sisters. (She’s made a full recovery, except she hasn’t laid since then, about 5-6 months ago.) what’s interesting is my sick hen wasn’t picked on. Even my rooster left her alone.
Chicken dynamics are complex I think. Just as soon as I think I understand it, something will happen and I’m confused once more.

 

[RoyalChick]

Chicken dynamics are complex I think. Just as soon as I think I understand it, something will happen and I’m confused once more.

True that!