Pecking order

[A silver laced dad]

When creating a flock with chicks from less than a week old how long until a pecking order is established?

 

[sourland]

They work at establishing a pecking order early on, but understand the 'pecking order' is fluid and ever changing. Lower ranked birds are always looking for an opportunity to increase their position.

 

[Shadrach]

When creating a flock with chicks from less than a week old how long until a pecking order is established?

Within days.
You should notice them play fighting and that is the start.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They'll start forming a loose pecking order even as chicks but you won't see a more strict or obvious hierarchy until they're closer to laying. At that point there'll likely more pecking and fussing as more dominant birds try to assert themselves, and less dominant birds bowing to others or having to wait their turn to eat.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

My pack of misfits all get along with what seems to be no pecking order at all, they are about 4.5 months old now. Whenever I go to feed their bellies, they don't ever peck at one another at all.... everyone just diving in trying to jockey for the best position to fill their endless pit of stomachs but no pecking. I think maybe it's because I have an old mean hen who will kick their behinds when I refill the feed, it's more like them against the old hag but for now they are terrified of her. Hopefully in the coming weeks one of them will set that old hag straight! But for now, she's like a living nightmare for them.

 

[chickens really]

Once Hormones get higher a pecking order will be established. Chicks play and have mock battles but not pecking order.