Who's at the top of your pecking order?

[HenHouse4Life]

Here on our farm we have 3 very distinct top hens/ breeds at the top of the pecking order. They're not mean or aggressive but they definitely run the show in the coops.
1) Barred Rock
2) Black Australorp
3) Easter Eggers

What's your pecking order like?

 

[PollyGirl21]

My flock has a strange pecking order. Its more like a pecking circle, actually.

for example:
chicken 1 pecks chicken 2 who pecks chicken 3 who pecks chicken 4 which pecks chicken 1.

our flock has 3 generations. Theres the two 9 year old hens who actually have stopped pecking anyone and peacefully hang out with only each other. They're Silkies.

Then theres the middle-aged/older-ish generation of also 2 hens. One silkie and one Mille Fleur d'Uccle. They interact with the youngest generation more, pecking them for food and asserting their dominance.

The youngest generation are four young pullets. They were raised together and like to stick together.

All of the generations have their own 'pecking circle' which ties into big flock 'pecking circle'. Except the old hens. The oldest hens don't care about the pecking circle. No one challenges or pecks them, and they don't challenge or peck anyone. They're above all that "pecking order nonsense"

 

[Kessel23]

The three top hens go back and forth often, for the past few years it has been a brown leghorn x RIR cross, a BL, and a RIR. The flock is made up of leghorns, Australorps, sex links, turkens, egyptians, wyandottes, cornish, silkies, and several other breeds and crosses. The Brown Leghorn is usually on top, a very strong girl for her size.

 

[Chickassan]

1. Dominique top hen but never mates with the rooster.
2. Delaware was number one.
3. Faverolle biggest hen.
4. Faverolle smallest hen.
5. Ameracana used to be number three.
6. Dominique/Speckled Sussex pullets share this spot.
7. Faverolle beardless.
8. Brahma not lowest just does not seem to play in the order at all she's just out there.
9. Rooster everybody knows roosters don't get pecking order spots. Being the rooster spares him at least that much grief.

 

[Mimi13]

First group of four (almost 3 yo):

1. Buff Orpington - my sweetest hen by far, loves to sit in my lap and be petted. Does not rule with an iron fist, just a look and a very low sound, except for the cockerel. She opens a can of whoop a$$ on him, for real.
2. Red Star - a sweetheart too. My #1 Buff’s Sargeant at Arms. She makes sure nothing bothers #1.
3. Amberlink - very standoffish and generally stays to herself. Loves to show #4 that she is above her. Also is a bit mean to the pullets.
4. Buff Orpington - she is definitely the meanest one of the four, but the lowest in the PO. She has spurs and even went through a spell where she’d slip up behind me and peck the crap out of me. She by far is the meanest one to the pullets. They’re all she has been able to boss around and she oversteps her “newfound” power.

Second group of 19 (almost 10 mo):

I am not certain which one is top dog as I’ve seen it change many times, but I believe it is between the RIR, SLW, BPR, & NN. Those four are generally fairly nasty to all the others.

Definitely the last four on the bottom of the pullets’ PO, and the sweetest of them all, are:

16. Partridge Cochin
17. Buckeye
18. EE
19. Barnevelder​

I have witnessed my top BO and RS come across the yard to break up a squabble between a couple of pullets.

Only once have I seen several of the younger girls try to ambush my top hen. It was the RIR, Australorp and maybe one of the Wyandottes, I can’t remember. I don’t know how she did it because she didn’t fight, but they backed off as quickly as they started. I dread the day one of the younger girls actually take the lead away from my BO. I hope it doesn’t happen, but I’m sure it will at some point.

 

[BrandonVercnocke]

1 Lorpa blue Australorp
2 Luci blrw
3 Leri ee
4 Loretta glw
5 LouAnne light Brahma

Lorpa has been really pecking a lot lately asserting her dominance.

LouAnne is my biggest but most intellectually challenged bird....and she is definitely at the bottom.

 

[Ribh]

With only 4 & plenty of space it's all pretty even but usually it's 1. Autralorp, Barred Rock, Australorp, Barred Rock. However the BRs are broody @ present so the Aussies have both the top spots.