Is it normal for meaties to challenge each other at 12 days old?

[backintime]

I've got 18 straight run meaties in a 4X8 coop under a red heat lamp, temp carefully controlled with thermometer at floor level. Now feeding 12 on, 12 off. They are doing beautifully(remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!) Just wondering about a behavior that started yesterday . . .

2 or 3 chicks will kind of square off, bump chests like little football players after a score, flap their wings, give each other the evil eye, and look as menacing as a fuzzy chick can pull off. It's kind of comical, especially with their bulging crops.

But I wonder, just what are they up to? Is this the start of the pecking order? Are they just feeling groovy and wanting to strut their stuff? If they are doing this at 2 weeks of age, what will it turn into later? Or will they get fatter and lazier and stop this later?

I don't recall this behavior being as prevalent or starting this early with the egg layers. What's up?

 

[Dogfish]

Normal.

 

[blueskylen]

yes, it will continue - mine are 7 weeks now - stilll jump up- ruffle up and prance around each other- never goes any farther than that tho. they look more like sumo wrestlers now.

 

[backintime]

Thanks guys! Is it generally just the roos that do this, or the females as well?

And on that subject, these meaties grow so fast, at what point does it become obvious which ones are roos? With my egg layers it took several months - but these grow so quickly, I wonder if the gender becomes obvious sooner.

 

[Dogfish]

Roos and hens do it. Pecking order. I could tell at about 3.5-4 weeks. No doubt at 5 weeks. Waddles drop down on the Roos about then and become a brighter red, compared to hens.

 

[jaku]

Perfectly normal, and yes, quite funny!