Why would a chicken peck me only while petting a different chicken?

[FattyChickens]

I've had these two girls for almost a year now, they are soo sweet and I love them. Both are very welcoming to pets, but recently when I try to pet brownie, blackie will peck at my fingers. And only then. I don't think chickens are capable of jealousy lmao, so what do you think it is?

 

[chrissynemetz]

She doesn't want you petting Brownie. Chickens can be so weird

 

[FattyChickens]

She doesn't want you petting Brownie. Chickens can be so weird

Do you think she just decided that for no reason? lol its silly

 

[FunClucks]

I've had these two girls for almost a year now, they are soo sweet and I love them. Both are very welcoming to pets, but recently when I try to pet brownie, blackie will peck at my fingers. And only then. I don't think chickens are capable of jealousy lmao, so what do you think it is?

I think it's a dominance thing. When you pet a chicken, you are dominant over that chicken. Your other chicken decides it wants to be dominant over the one you are petting also, so it goes up and pecks her. Try petting both chickens at once. Also, when the pecker pecks, whap her on the beak with your finger (peck her back). That will teach her not to peck the first chicken while you're petting her. Hopefully. It shows you get to decide who gets pecked, not the chicken doing the pecking.

You see this sometimes with a rooster - it will mate a hen, and other hens will come over and peck the one that is being mated because they want to be dominant over her.