Unclear hierarchy

[K0k0shka]

Peacefully eating their favorite “treat” together (wet mash of feed crumble + water).

 

[Brandy2512]

My girls’ pecking order is rather subtle too, so not advice from me. Just wanted to say that your girls are very pretty!

 

[K0k0shka]

My girls’ pecking order is rather subtle too, so not advice from me. Just wanted to say that your girls are very pretty!

Aw thanks!

 

[Sahraschweiss]

I have 5 pullets, all 26 weeks old. Three Orpingtons and two Barnevelders. I've read about the hierarchy/pecking order and some say it's linear, others that it branches out, yet others that it's individual relationships between the birds. Most people seem to agree that, whatever the structure, there is a top chicken - the male if there is one, and a top hen if there isn't. People say that this structure is noticeable fairly early. Well, it's been 26 weeks that I've had these chickens, and so far I haven't been able to determine what their hierarchy is! It doesn't seem like anybody in particular is "on top". All 5 are mellow and get along well. The Orpingtons are about twice the size of the Barnevelders, despite being the same age, and they are perpetually hungry. So they throw their weight around a bit, especially when it comes to food - I guess that puts them higher up? But at the same time, it's not uncommon for a Barnevelder to peck and Orpington out of the way if she's getting in her space. So... Not higher up after all? I've read about roost arrangements being related to pecking order. Well, these chickens sleep every which way. Every night they're in a different configuration on the roost. The only consistency I've noticed is that they often segregate themselves by breed - the Barnevelders sleep next to each other, and the Orpingtons next to each other, but on the same roost and at the same height, all smooshed together. And even that is only sometimes. As far as general pecking goes, it seems to be driven by personal space more than any particular order. So any one of them pecks any other one if she's too much in her space (blocking the feeder or vying for my attention etc.) The relationships between each two chickens seem to be more consistent than anything else. The two Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons just don't seem to like each other very much and that's that, even though they look like twins. The two Barnevelders are best friends. The big Silver Laced Orpington is the sweetest and gets along well with everybody. And so on.

So... Do these chickens have a "pecking order"? Do all chickens have to have a pecking order? How can I tell?

View attachment 2380486

I have a flock of 20. 12 are 7 months and 8 are 5 months. In the 5 month old group there is a cockerel. All others are pullets.

The cockerel isn't top bird yet. I know this because when he alarm calls they look to the top hen to see if it is real. If she alarm calls, then everyone hides.

Top hen doesn't bully. But when she she says hide, they all listen. If she comes up to eat or drink, others just step aside. No fuss, no pecking. The cockerel stays out of her way.

When the cockerel gets rough with a girl, doesn't take no for an answer, top hen will rush in and peck him until he leaves the other girl alone. If a pullet consents, she lets it be.

Sometimes it's not who is doing the pecking, but who isn't getting pecked.

 

[Eelantha]

This is my 16 months old flock of chickens:

Top Hen : Buffy (that I helped reach top spot so the other girls would give her chicks a wide berth. Acts like Sally and Esmeralda.)

2nd: Sally (EE - very dominant, previous top hen before Buffy became a mama, pecks other hens over food, water, personal space and nest box spots. Very short temper, low tolerance of other hens except her sister Esmeralda, with whom she is inseparable.)

3rd: Esmeralda (Sally's sister - EE - very dominant, behaves like her sister.)

4th: Lucy (Cream Legbar - mostly neutral, but has developed a bit of a short temper within the flock. Pecks others over food and personal space, sometimes water.)

5th: Welsumer (My gentlest girl, and least aggressive. Grew a firm side under the roughousing of her flockmates and now pecks others over food, though she prefers intimidation to action to get her point across. I get matriarch vibes from her.)

6th: Missy (Plymouth Rock hybrid - was bottom hen for a long time, and the favorite bullying target of the two EEs and Legbars for just as long before Buffy's climb in the pecking order this spring changed the whole hiearchy. Beneath her docile behavior, Missy has the territorial temper of a red sex-link, and it showed up when I tried adding new chickens to my coop this summer. It was a disaster. She has become a vicious pecker, and a feather plucker as well. Now that my chicks are gone, she's turned her aggression towards my new bottom bird. She's also making very sure to chase off that poor hen from food and water sources, despite there being multiple stations. Missy is quickly becoming my worst bully hen.)

7th: Duchesse (Cream Legbar - was higher up in the pecking order until I re-homed my chicks, which is at the same time she started molting. She's Missy's new feather-plucking target, and not having the best life currently. Missy does not allow her anywhere near food and water sources, and roosting time is brutal for the now low-rank Legbar, who gives the Plymouth a wide berth and jumps away squawking whenever Missy ambushes her for a peck or worse.)

The overall dynamic of my chickens is this:

Buffy is Queen of the Coop and tops every other hen but my Welsumer, who she bows to despite being the stronger fighter. She does not look afraid of the other hen, so I think she submits out of respect. How the welsumer obtained that from Buffy, I have no idea.

The Eldery Queen (the one hen everyone follows when I let them graze in my backyard, Buffy included) is Esmeralda, as she is the oldest and most experienced.

Sally runs herd on everyone except her sister and Buffy, whom she is terrified of (their battle for top spot was violent). Currently trying to become a mama and failing, because I have no fertile eggs to give her. Snuggles under Esmeralda to sleep, as would a chick to its mother's belly.

Lucy tolerates Missy but avoids Sally, and snaps at Esmeralda and the welsumer, who both go eat elsewhere when that happens. She also avoids Duchesse whenever food gets involved.

Missy bows to everyone but Duchesse, and she's learned to wait for the perfect time to strike at her - usually pecking/plucking from behind, when the other can't see her coming. My various attempts to rectify her temper have all failed, so I will have to re-home her if she keeps up this nonsense now that the chicks are gone.

The welsumer is cool with everyone 85% of the time. She's literally my only well-behaved bird out of the bunch. She prefers to give her flockmates a warning glare and draw herself up in clear preparation to peck instead of actually doing it, and they usually listen rather than seek trouble around her. Buffy herself bows to her, though Sally and Esmeralda are not impressed. Lucy sometimes listens, sometimes doesn't. Duchesse is tolerated, though Missy is usually not welcome.

Duchesse used to be an assertive hen before this autumn, with little tolerance for those around her. She's a loner and a comb biter. She avoids Buffy, Sally and Esmeralda, tolerates my welsumer, snaps at my other Legbar (Lucy) and used to be Missy's bully before the roles got switched. Now Duchesse keeps a low profile, avoids the top hens, still dislikes Lucy, takes tentative company with my welsumer every now and then, and gives Missy a wide berth.

Top hens: Buffy, Sally, Esmeralda
Middle hens: Lucy, Welsumer
Bottom hens: Missy, Duchesse.
Intruders: the chicks I had this summer and re-homed.

All my hens get pecked regardless of their status. My flock is short-tempered, so shows of dominance and actions to remind other hens of their place are common occurrence in my coop. Leadership changes depending on the situation and environment.

Looking at how my hens behave themselves, I think molting time is a prime occasion for the weak to undermine the strong in chicken hierarchy. Middle birds like Duchesse have less energy to defend themselves if bottom birds like Missy take multiple shots at them over several weeks' time. Stress, drained energy and a healthy dose of fear leaves the harassed hen unable to fight back properly, which effectively knocks her down the pecking order and gives her no time to recover before the cold season sets in. But Missy has yet to enter her molt, so I suspect Duchesse will regain her proper place in the pecking order once that happens... if I haven't gotten rid of her before then, that is.

 

[K0k0shka]

This is my 16 months old flock of chickens:

Top Hen : Buffy (that I helped reach top spot so the other girls would give her chicks a wide berth. Acts like Sally and Esmeralda.)

2nd: Sally (EE - very dominant, previous top hen before Buffy became a mama, pecks other hens over food, water, personal space and nest box spots. Very short temper, low tolerance of other hens except her sister Esmeralda, with whom she is inseparable.)

3rd: Esmeralda (Sally's sister - EE - very dominant, behaves like her sister.)

4th: Lucy (Cream Legbar - mostly neutral, but has developed a bit of a short temper within the flock. Pecks others over food and personal space, sometimes water.)

5th: Welsumer (My gentlest girl, and least aggressive. Grew a firm side under the roughousing of her flockmates and now pecks others over food, though she prefers intimidation to action to get her point across. I get matriarch vibes from her.)

6th: Missy (Plymouth Rock hybrid - was bottom hen for a long time, and the favorite bullying target of the two EEs and Legbars for just as long before Buffy's climb in the pecking order this spring changed the whole hiearchy. Beneath her docile behavior, Missy has the territorial temper of a red sex-link, and it showed up when I tried adding new chickens to my coop this summer. It was a disaster. She has become a vicious pecker, and a feather plucker as well. Now that my chicks are gone, she's turned her aggression towards my new bottom bird. She's also making very sure to chase off that poor hen from food and water sources, despite there being multiple stations. Missy is quickly becoming my worst bully hen.)

7th: Duchesse (Cream Legbar - was higher up in the pecking order until I re-homed my chicks, which is at the same time she started molting. She's Missy's new feather-plucking target, and not having the best life currently. Missy does not allow her anywhere near food and water sources, and roosting time is brutal for the now low-rank Legbar, who gives the Plymouth a wide berth and jumps away squawking whenever Missy ambushes her for a peck or worse.)

The overall dynamic of my chickens is this:

Buffy is Queen of the Coop and tops every other hen but my Welsumer, who she bows to despite being the stronger fighter. She does not look afraid of the other hen, so I think she submits out of respect. How the welsumer obtained that from Buffy, I have no idea.

The Eldery Queen (the one hen everyone follows when I let them graze in my backyard, Buffy included) is Esmeralda, as she is the oldest and most experienced.

Sally runs herd on everyone except her sister and Buffy, whom she is terrified of (their battle for top spot was violent). Currently trying to become a mama and failing, because I have no fertile eggs to give her. Snuggles under Esmeralda to sleep, as would a chick to its mother's belly.

Lucy tolerates Missy but avoids Sally, and snaps at Esmeralda and the welsumer, who both go eat elsewhere when that happens. She also avoids Duchesse whenever food gets involved.

Missy bows to everyone but Duchesse, and she's learned to wait for the perfect time to strike at her - usually pecking/plucking from behind, when the other can't see her coming. My various attempts to rectify her temper have all failed, so I will have to re-home her if she keeps up this nonsense now that the chicks are gone.

The welsumer is cool with everyone 85% of the time. She's literally my only well-behaved bird out of the bunch. She prefers to give her flockmates a warning glare and draw herself up in clear preparation to peck instead of actually doing it, and they usually listen rather than seek trouble around her. Buffy herself bows to her, though Sally and Esmeralda are not impressed. Lucy sometimes listens, sometimes doesn't. Duchesse is tolerated, though Missy is usually not welcome.

Duchesse used to be an assertive hen before this autumn, with little tolerance for those around her. She's a loner and a comb biter. She avoids Buffy, Sally and Esmeralda, tolerates my welsumer, snaps at my other Legbar (Lucy) and used to be Missy's bully before the roles got switched. Now Duchesse keeps a low profile, avoids the top hens, still dislikes Lucy, takes tentative company with my welsumer every now and then, and gives Missy a wide berth.

Top hens: Buffy, Sally, Esmeralda
Middle hens: Lucy, Welsumer
Bottom hens: Missy, Duchesse.
Intruders: the chicks I had this summer and re-homed.

All my hens get pecked regardless of their status. My flock is short-tempered, so shows of dominance and actions to remind other hens of their place are common occurrence in my coop. Leadership changes depending on the situation and environment.

Looking at how my hens behave themselves, I think molting time is a prime occasion for the weak to undermine the strong in chicken hierarchy. Middle birds like Duchesse have less energy to defend themselves if bottom birds like Missy take multiple shots at them over several weeks' time. Stress, drained energy and a healthy dose of fear leaves the harassed hen unable to fight back properly, which effectively knocks her down the pecking order and gives her no time to recover before the cold season sets in. But Missy has yet to enter her molt, so I suspect Duchesse will regain her proper place in the pecking order once that happens... if I haven't gotten rid of her before then, that is.

Wow, that's a whole soap opera right there My chickens are so boring in comparison, haha. I'm not complaining, I like that they get along. Maybe it's their breeds, they are just very mellow and non-confrontational. The occasional peck on the head over food is all they do. I don't think I've ever seen one puff up at another or have any other kind of argument. The most drama I've seen is when my two most people-friendly hens started getting jealous and not allowing me to hold any of the other chickens... But that phase seems to have mostly passed.

 

[Ribh]

My flock is fairly eglatarian. There is very little need for anyone to throw their weight around. That being said the pecking order is quite subtle. My oldest birds are @ the top. My smallest are @ the bottom. My big placid standards calm my nervy, flighty girls. But there is no set order for roosting & I put out enough food stations everyone can feed together. If you have a subtle pecking order I would guess everyone has enough space & enough access to food & water. Well done you!

 

[Eelantha]

Wow, that's a whole soap opera right there My chickens are so boring in comparison, haha. I'm not complaining, I like that they get along. Maybe it's their breeds, they are just very mellow and non-confrontational. The occasional peck on the head over food is all they do. I don't think I've ever seen one puff up at another or have any other kind of argument. The most drama I've seen is when my two most people-friendly hens started getting jealous and not allowing me to hold any of the other chickens... But that phase seems to have mostly passed.

I envy you and your boring chickens. Mine are feisty, and while that's sometimes endearing, it's also very troublesome when things escalate. Most of my ladies come from hobby breeders, and the lack of selection for good tempers is what makes the flock dynamic so strained. I have no people-friendly chicken (that was my splash Ameraucana cockerel, snif), though my two EEs are the least likely to struggle when I pick them up. I currently take advantage of Sally's broodiness to pet her to my heart's content, as otherwise she runs away from me whenever I extend a hand towards her. She does her best to intimidate me into leaving her alone by puffing up into a literal protesting ball of feathers, but she just makes herself irresistible to me that way xD

Esmeralda for her part keeps her distance in the run unless treats are involved. She can't escape me at dusk when it's time to roost though, so I get my petting there. I guess that for lack of people-friendly chickens, I've been trying to become a chicken-friendly person... now if only I could speak poultry so I could tell the rest of my girls to be nicer to each other. I can dream...