Is Chloe a hardened felon or just establishing dominance?

[gritsar]

All has gone surprisingly well with combining my adult and juvenile flocks. There was some minor chasing of the babies by the adults, but even that has settled down somewhat. Thor, my adult roo, chased one of the pullets, Ivy, the other day but surprisingly got chased back by Ivy's roo, Impy.
The babies raid the adult's yard at least once a day looking for any scratch the big birds might have missed and vice versa. All is well and then there's Chloe, an adult brahma hen.
Chloe is now the lowest-ranking member of her flock since Lil'Bit passed away. Lilith used to be, but then Thor took a liking to Lilith and Chloe lost out.
Anyhow, the adults eat layer pellets. They have been eating them since the started on layer feed way back when. The babies eat layer crumbles. Mama is not quite comfortable feeding the babies pellets, with the silkies and meat birds in the flock. Both flocks feeders are kept full.
Each day, when it's time for me to let the younger ones out, Chloe makes a beeline for the baby coop and raids their feeders. Some days she's out there waiting for me to open their door so she can get at their feeders.
DH says it's because for some reason, she prefers or needs the crumble. I say she's just asserting her dominance with the only chickens she can, the babies.
Well?

 

[WingingIt]

I'd be inclined to say she just likes the crumbles better, unless she's also being mean to the babies in other ways, too. If she's chasing them away and pecking at them and growling/fluffed up at them, then I'd say it could be part of her showing her dominance.

So my ever so helpful answer is: it depends!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I think she may not be getting enough feed otherwise, so she gets it where she knows she can? Her own feeder may be full, but will the other bigger chickens let her eat?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah, I've seen her at her own feeder too. No one bothers her. More like they just tolerate her.

At any rate, I guess I'm going to be switching the adults over to crumbles too. I've always preferred pellets, but they are suddenly wasting a ton of pellets. Also, it doesn't make sense when I go to the feed store to have to order two different versions of the same food. So soon as I run out and have to buy more everyone will be eating crumbles. Then we'll see what's what with Chloe.