I was told by a fellow who was raised on a chicken farm, about how the birds establish a pecking order. He claimed that the "head" chicken always roosts to the far left, with the lesser birds to the right of it. (this is with you facing the roost) If you have a two leval roost, some of the lesser birds will roost on the lower level. I got to see the behavior last evening, when the birds were going to roost, and have to believe he knows what he was talking about.
Four of the birds were on the roost, and getting settled for the night. Two of them stayed in the run till almost dark, before heading in. When they tried to get up the ladder to the roost, there was quite a fuss, Some of the birds were on the roost directly above the ladder, and when the other two tired to get up on the roost, I suppose in the wrong order, the fun began. The birds on the roost kept pecking at the birds trying to get up, until they finally managed to walk there way down the dropping board and get on the roost. Something was still wrong in the line up, and one bird kept trying to climb over the backs of the others to get in it's proper position. The others all settled but this one bird got all antsy, and was chattering away. I finally picked her up, and moved it over two birds to the left, who begrudgingly made room. Once she was in that spot, they all settled right down, and went to sleep.
The thing that suprises me the most is, the smallest bird of the flock is the head bird. I do notice though that it is the most people friendly, and bravest of the bunch. She always comes right over to me when I'm cleaning the coop, and picks at my boots, and generally stays under me. If I hold out a cutworm, or a caterpiller, she's the first to come over and grab it. First out into the run in the morning, and first to go back into the hen house at night. I guess size dosen't matter to chickens, it's all about attitude.
Funny as heck, these little things that make up the social life of a chickens ..
Four of the birds were on the roost, and getting settled for the night. Two of them stayed in the run till almost dark, before heading in. When they tried to get up the ladder to the roost, there was quite a fuss, Some of the birds were on the roost directly above the ladder, and when the other two tired to get up on the roost, I suppose in the wrong order, the fun began. The birds on the roost kept pecking at the birds trying to get up, until they finally managed to walk there way down the dropping board and get on the roost. Something was still wrong in the line up, and one bird kept trying to climb over the backs of the others to get in it's proper position. The others all settled but this one bird got all antsy, and was chattering away. I finally picked her up, and moved it over two birds to the left, who begrudgingly made room. Once she was in that spot, they all settled right down, and went to sleep.
The thing that suprises me the most is, the smallest bird of the flock is the head bird. I do notice though that it is the most people friendly, and bravest of the bunch. She always comes right over to me when I'm cleaning the coop, and picks at my boots, and generally stays under me. If I hold out a cutworm, or a caterpiller, she's the first to come over and grab it. First out into the run in the morning, and first to go back into the hen house at night. I guess size dosen't matter to chickens, it's all about attitude.
Funny as heck, these little things that make up the social life of a chickens ..
