Is this normal pecking order behavior in chicks?

[gumbita]

So the past couple of days have been probably stressful for my birds which is why I'm wondering if they are doing this or they are just being normal.

I had 7 silkies between the ages of 3-4 weeks, gave three to a friend yesterday (which included the top chicken in their brooder pecking order whom I suspect was actually a roo - super aggressive, especially for 4 weeks old!).

I also moved the remaining 4 into their new spacious watermelon box brooder and brought home 2 easter egger chicks from the feed store. They were originally behind their own partition but as it turns out, the chicks were small enough to squeeze right through the holes of the partition walls and within 15 seconds of me putting them in there, the chicks were on the other side trying to cuddle with my silkies I watched them for a good long while and there were surprisingly no problems - the chicks were eating and drinking and cuddling with my 2 runty silkies and the biggest one seemed cool with everything.

Anyways, today the two oldest and biggest silkies have been fighting with eachother - it looks like cock fighting - they stand up tall and face each other and then flutter and kick their back feet at each other. The biggest one "wins" every time and then I guess the smaller one that keeps challenging the bigger one gets ****** off because it lost so then it goes and takes out its anger on one of the new chicks by jumping at it. Then they all go back to friendly eating together and drinking and sleeping together. The little chicks run behind the biggest silkie and that dominant silkie thumps the other silkie trying for dominance and then there is peace again. These are a couple things I have noticed happening anyways.

Sorry this is so long, but since I have never had chickens before, I wonder if they are just kind of sorting out the whole pecking order thing since their old order kind of got disrupted, or I'm wondering if I need to intervene? The two smallest chicks seem to be doing fine and are eating and drinking and no one has been injured, at least not yet. Is this just something they'll work out on their own?

 

[4H gal]

yes it is normal for the pecking order to start at a young age. Each group of chicks I have had started the pecking order at that age.
I hope this helps you and good luck with your silkies.

 

[CedarAcres]

Yes it's normal! As long as no one is getting injured, everything is fine

 

[redneckchickens]

I have been wondering the same thing! I have 2week old chicks then roughly 6wk olds and tried putting them together yesterday due to the fact the 6wks olds cant go in with the 3mo old yet. I was getting a lil worried because the 6wk olds were pecking some of the 2 week olds no one seemed to be getting hurt but as a first time chicken owner didn't know what was right from wrong but I did end up separating them but some how the older ones got under the divider! and no one seemed to have got injured over night so im hoping things will be ok tonight when they the 6wk olds get put back in the house tonight with the 2wk olds

 

[gumbita]

I guess maybe it just depends on the chicken personalities - mine are all the best of friends now that I guess they got the whole thing sorted out! I think the two biggest and oldest ones were just trying to establish top bird since the original flock leader had been sold and once they did that everything was cool. Now the top bird is very cute and protective of the two chicks and my small runty silkie (which is now smaller than the few day old chicks. . .) and they all sleep together in a big dog pile!

 

[redneckchickens]

Well you are making me feel a lil better about the flock getting along once everyone reach's a good size