Lap Chickens = Higher Ranked?

[micstrachan]

I am in my second year of chicken keeping, and I have a flock of nine... three from last year (sadly, a fourth died) and six from this year. They are now fully integrated. Phew!
Anyway, I have noticed with BOTH sets, the girl(s) who are the most affectionate and “lap-sitty” with me are the higher ranked girls as far as pecking order. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this a known chicken behavior trend that I am witnessing first hand with no prior knowledge, or is it just a coincidence? Curious if others here have observed this.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It will be interesting to see others input. None of mine are "lap chickens", but I've found the friendliest (most cuddly) are the middle girls. I think a lot depends on the breed as well. My middle girls are Orpington and Australorp. Higher ranking birds are Rocks - they are friendly, but "independent". Lower ranking girls do want attention, but don't like to be handled either.

 

[micstrachan]

Thanks for answering. Interesting! In my first flock, my Brown Leghorn is VERY cuddly. She was top girl before the Australorp started plucking her feathers. Super high strung otherwise, but once I’m in a chair, she likes to sit on me, cuddle, and be pet.
As far as my pullets, my Blue Laced Red Wyandotte is very much a lap girl and a major squatter. She is roosting at the very top, alongside the bully Black Australorp. Her “sister” who also likes to lap sit, is a Buff Orpington. Both of them are top girls in the pullet group. Interesting... I read that Orps are often low in the pecking order. So far, mine is not. Looking forward to more responses.

 

[neatskii]

My Sussex light loves to sit on my lap and is definitely the top of the pecking order. But on the other hand my gold laced Wyandotte is the bottom of the pecking order and loves to have a good cuddle but only from me, no one else. Whereas my Sussex will go up to anyone.
My girls in the middle aren't interested in being lap chickens at all.
Would be interesting to see more people's responses. Maybe it's purely a breed thing or how they're raised maybe?

 

[Monkeysmom5018]

My flock was originally 2 EE 1 Australorp 1 barred rock and 1 mottled Cochin bantam. The Cochin has always jumped on my lap for petting. We got 2 silkies about the same age back in July and she was still the boss. I brought home 5 assorted hens and chicks last weekend she's not so cuddly but looks at me like she's mad. Pecks the newbies then looks at me to funny!!

 

[micstrachan]

My top girls are different breeds. They have all been hand raised. Interestingly, my original four were raised by four of us (one chick per person to hold at night). With the second batch (6) we had a new puppy, so nobody except for me was interested in handling the chicks. At the beginning, I would hold ygem in pairs. When they got a little bigger, I would sit on the floor by the brooder, let them out, and reat my arms on top so they could sit on my arms. When they moved to what I call the “grow up coop” (little store bought coop I use for teenagers and to isolate when needed), I would pull up a low chair, drape a towel over my legs, and open their lite gate. They would rush out, scratch around, and perch on my legs. Even though we handled both sets, the second batch is a little more friendly and handle-able than the first set. Maybe I was more vigilant since I had morecexperience? Not sure. Theventire flock is pretty friendly overall, and every single one will have a brief sit atvsome point. Only Rusty, the one who passed, was not a lap sitter. Oh, and myflock is all mixed (only one of each breed). I did shoot for breeds that I thought would make nice pets.

 

[micstrachan]

My flock was originally 2 EE 1 Australorp 1 barred rock and 1 mottled Cochin bantam. The Cochin has always jumped on my lap for petting. We got 2 silkies about the same age back in July and she was still the boss. I brought home 5 assorted hens and chicks last weekend she's not so cuddly but looks at me like she's mad. Pecks the newbies then looks at me to funny!!

I swear these girls get jealous! Which is amazing, considering that is a complex emotion. My Brown Leghorn (big cuddler) was downright brutal when I first introduced the pullets (jumping up in the air with claws bared, pinning them down, etc.) I was horrified! But then I realized the little sweetie was jealous of my affection! I gave her extra lovin’ and she calmed way down. Precious!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Generally the stronger and more confident a chicken is, the higher that chicken will rank in the pecking order.