Two laying, others becoming more aggressive.

[notsooldmcdonald]

Yesterday, two of my pullets began laying eggs (got two more today!). I went out this afternoon to give them the usual veggies and to hang with them a bit and I noticed something concerning. I've got two or three other pullets who are now becoming much more aggressive to other hens. I'm not sure if this is a "pecking order" issue? The rooster stayed WAY out of it. They have a big outside pen (we have roving neighbor dogs and hawks, so they have to be in) and coop, so they all have places to go and seem to cohabitate well at night. I have just not seen this kind of aggression from one pullet to another prior to today.

I've got one rooster and 21 pullets. Clearly, he is out numbered, but he has been doing his best to visit everyone. Are the others trying to take the place of another rooster?

-Christian

 

[ibpboo]

Congratulations on the eggs!! Probably just a pecking order thing. As long as they are not seriously injuring one another, don't worry too much. Chickens do squabble a lot at times!

 

[gritsar]

When my girls first started laying I noticed that my sweet and loving girls all got a bit crabby. Even ones that had a particular flock mate they were close to were arguing with each other.
If they are not drawing blood, I would chalk it up to hormonal changes and let them work it out. After everybody's in on the laying game and got their laying schedules figured out they calm down.
Like yours, my roosters stay as far away from those issues as possible. Picked up my alpha roo once and set him in a nest box once just to see what he would do. He acted like I had stuck him in a pot of boiling water. He couldn't get out of there fast enough!

 

[AngieChick]

Quote:
Smart rooster!

My girls are doing the same thing right now.

 

[Jolyn]

I noticed that right after my first hens started laying they all got a little more aggressive. More pecking at each other and acting mean. Now they have all calmed back down and seem to get along like they had before.

I'm not sure if it's typical but it did happen here too.