Pecking order: Fair or Cruel?

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

I free range them about 3 times a day for an hour.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

The coop is 7 by 6 feet. The run is I think 6 feet. I also free range them.

 

[Hyper_Chicken05]

Maybe its because the weakest and has no friends. Like the odd one out or soemthing. I have this tiny pekin bantam that gets picked on all the time and no one likes her. So im considering getting her some more pekins for friends.

 

[Shadrach]

Hi, today I’ve noticed that my hens are all pecking my smallest Easter egger. She’s only a week younger. They peck her whenever she tries taking more food or does something that they don’t like. For instance, one time I was counting he chickens and I couldn’t find her. I found that she was roosting on a tree. Som I put her inside the coop and every single hen pecked her. I think she’s at the bottom of the order. Is there anything I could do to help her? Or should she just continue being pecked?
This is her:

Seriously, don’t go for all that survival of the fittest nonsense. If you actually read Charles Darwin’s books you will come to understand that the fittest has a particular meaning and has little to do with aggression, size, or many of the other qualities so often ascribed to creatures.
Often the fittest is the abnormal, the freak in evolutionary terms.
When for example a deadly virus effects a species it’s not the ‘fittest’ as the human concept would have that survives, its the freak, the one that has for whatever reason some resistance to the virus, or manages to avoid catching it. It’s often the ability to rapidly mutate, to be different from the ‘normal’ that is successful in evolutionary terms. This is why certain viruses cause humans and other creatures such problems; they can mutate faster than we can find ways of killing them.

There are many reason why a particular hen may get picked on by the ‘group’. Aggressive behavior can be instigated by one particular hen and then copied by the others; just like with humans. With the chickens here, age is often the determining factor in the pecking order and often it is the second lowest in the pecking order that is the most aggressive towards the next most junior and interestingly with hens, hens from other groups.
Personality can play a role. Some chickens seem just to not like each other and depending on where the disliker is in the order, this may cause others to follow her lead.
There is often a desire to be in a group, you can see that on this forum. The group members defend the others in their group against outside influences in order to maintain the status quo. However, some creatures can be more solitary and more independent and this can cause the ‘group’ to attack the one that demonstrates unusual behavior.

The important thing for you as the controller of these chickens environment is to make sure the oddball has sufficient space to escape the group behavior and to ensure she gets equal access to food and water and comfort. You will not be able to easily stop the group behavior and perhaps as I’ve seen here, there will come a time when the oddball turns and beats the **** out of one of the group and the whole flock dynamics will change.

 

[Birdinhand]

more space is better but then sometimes, the group chemistry just isn't compatible for one individual and that one needs to be rehomed.

 

[Birdinhand]

wize words Shadrach, excellent post!

Seriously, don’t go for all that survival of the fittest nonsense. If you actually read Charles Darwin’s books you will come to understand that the fittest has a particular meaning and has little to do with aggression, size, or many of the other qualities so often ascribed to creatures.
Often the fittest is the abnormal, the freak in evolutionary terms.
When for example a deadly virus effects a species it’s not the ‘fittest’ as the human concept would have that survives, its the freak, the one that has for whatever reason some resistance to the virus, or manages to avoid catching it. It’s often the ability to rapidly mutate, to be different from the ‘normal’ that is successful in evolutionary terms. This is why certain viruses cause humans and other creatures such problems; they can mutate faster than we can find ways of killing them.

There are many reason why a particular hen may get picked on by the ‘group’. Aggressive behavior can be instigated by one particular hen and then copied by the others; just like with humans. With the chickens here, age is often the determining factor in the pecking order and often it is the second lowest in the pecking order that is the most aggressive towards the next most junior and interestingly with hens, hens from other groups.
Personality can play a role. Some chickens seem just to not like each other and depending on where the disliker is in the order, this may cause others to follow her lead.
There is often a desire to be in a group, you can see that on this forum. The group members defend the others in their group against outside influences in order to maintain the status quo. However, some creatures can be more solitary and more independent and this can cause the ‘group’ to attack the one that demonstrates unusual behavior.

The important thing for you as the controller of these chickens environment is to make sure the oddball has sufficient space to escape the group behavior and to ensure she gets equal access to food and water and comfort. You will not be able to easily stop the group behavior and perhaps as I’ve seen here, there will come a time when the oddball turns and beats the **** out of one of the group and the whole flock dynamics will change.

 

[aart]

I don’t know exactly how much but it’s about 7 by 6 feet.

Take your tape measure out(everyone has one, right?), and your camera, and post dimensions and pics.

Your birds are all about 6 months old, correct?
Is the picked on bird laying yet?

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

The pictures are hard to ta’e because it’s really windy outside. But, I measured it and it’s exactly 7 by 6 feet. Also, my Easter egger isn’t due to lay in a few more weeks.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

I don’t think it’s that serious for rehoming. They still get along but sometimes they will pick on her.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

I actually have a bigger problem: It’s REALLY windy outside. Recently there’s been a fire from another city and some smoke is still here.Should, I have the hens stay in the coop with all the dirt and rocks flying in the air?