Tag: pecking order

Bullying in the Animal Kingdom

Post author By KS
Post date August 17, 2023
1 Comment on Bullying in the Animal Kingdom

Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com

Any time we hatch a new chick, duckling, or keet, or maybe get a new cat, fur and feathers get ruffled. No matter the steps and how long we take to introduce a new pet, some type of aggression ensues. And at times it feels like it won’t end. Further, the aggression that occurs at my home is typically intraspecies, which is the same species ganging up on each other. Though, I know others have interspecies aggression. So, I wanted to explore bullying in the animal kingdom.

According to Oxford dictionary, one definition of bully is a person who uses their strength or power to frighten or hurt weaker people. But the legal system doesn’t consider non-human animals as legal persons. Thus, according to the law, backyard birds, dogs, cats, etc are not people. Therefore, our pets can’t be regarded as bullies from these parameters, even though their behavior screams bullying to us.

Nevertheless, if you Google pet bullying, you’ll doubtless find endless examples of exactly this, no matter what the law may say. As a result, it’s apparently quite common among pet parents and animal behaviorists alike to see bullying activity. What is it exactly about these behaviors that look like bullying? Is it normal, and does it serve a purpose. How can we help inter and intraspecies relationships? And do we humans behave the same way?

Why Animals Bully Each Other

A couple of years ago I wrote an article on the chicken pecking order. Even if the term was originally in reference to chickens, most, if not all, animals observe some sort of dominance hierarchy. In biology, dominance hierarchy is basically a ranking system in animal groups. Some animals are more dominant, like the alpha, whereas others are more submissive. Consequently, dominance is one of the major reasons animals bully each other. The dominant animal is effectively trying to reinforce their class system or hierarchy.

For instance, if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you might know we have a new kitten named Pickles. Initially my cat, Itty, did NOT like Pickles. At all. And I know why. Pickles is ~ 4 months old, eats Itty’s food, goes into Itty’s room, chases Itty, gets on Itty’s bed, and sits on Itty’s chair. Basically Pickles does NOT respect the hierarchy.

On the other hand, when Itty first came to live with us at 5 weeks old, Cake and Meow Meow, our then resident cats, laid the law down for her. And Itty respected them and the law. Even though Meow is no longer with us, Itty still respects Cake, because she knows her place. However, at the same time, Itty knows she herself is a princess. Pickles is a bottom feeder and should be licking Itty’s paws. But Pickles doesn’t seem to know her kitty place. It appears she doesn’t care about hierarchy; she just does what she does. Moreover, she’s certainly not submissive, and it was annoying the hell out of my cat. So, on various occasions I’d hear noises that sounded like cats killing each other. Thankfully they weren’t actually killing each other. Although, it was Itty, cursing Pickles in meows and caterwauling.

Besides dominance, other reasons animals bully each other include

mating

Several examples of bullying-type behavior exist in the animal kingdom concerning females during mating. For example, male on female bullying during mating. Or it can happen with any other members of the same species just because it’s mating season. Ducks are a prime example of this. Our first drake killed a female due to his crazy hormones during mating season.

boredom

Some animals appear to pick on other animals if they’re stuck together for a bit of time. Think chickens cooped up during inclement weather for days upon days with nothing to occupy them. Alternatively, picture any smart, high energy dog with nothing to do, locked in a small room (or house) with a small, scared pet. An animal in either or both of these situations will pick on or bully another when they have nothing to do, or any way to expend their energy.

illness/injury

Chickens mercilessly abuse sick and injured birds. But there could be cases where an ill, injured, or hurting animal lashes out at other animals. For instance, dogs have been known to attack sick or hurt dogs. And they can also attack if they are sick or injured themselves.

resource guarding

I’ve mentioned resource guarding before. And generally, bullying in regards to this could be for space, food, water, breeding, etc. An animal is just claiming all of the above as their own, thus, picking on anyone who transgresses.

inadequate early socialization

A lack of early socialization, at least for dogs and cats, can easily turn playtime into a fight.

space/territory

Many animals will attack and pick on other animals, including members of the same species, if there isn’t enough space for everyone.

and stress

Our pets are sensitive to us and their environments. And all of them seem to love routines. (Kinda like us.) Therefore, any changes to their routines can lead to aggression. Be it change in feed, living arrangements, friends, family, schedules, and/or adding or subtracting any other pets all have an effect on them. Not to mention possible life or death situations they may face themselves.

What Does Bullying Look Like in the Animal Kingdom

Now I’ll go through some of the pets I have, and find out what picking on each other might look like in dogs, cats, and chickens.

Signs of Dog Bullying

Being overly pushy with other dogs or with the cats. For example, a bullying dog pushes other dogs out of the way. Or, like at our house, your dog might push the cats or other pets out of the way when they want attention instead of letting anyone else have any.
Doesn’t follow commands once very excited
Playing rough or harassing non-consenting dogs and/or cats
Disrespecting boundaries of other dogs, people, and/or cats
Growling, nipping, biting, and pinning playmates to the ground
Steals food, treats, and/or toys
Ignores signals from other dogs and/or cats
Pesters dogs and/or cats who don’t want to play
“All in your face”
Puts paws on head or shoulders of other dogs most often
and Engages in mounting behavior

Symptoms Your Dog is Bullied

Tucking tail between their legs
Yawning or licking their lips
Hiding or avoiding other dogs
Rolling over in submissive manner
Barking while backing away from another dog
Urinating in inappropriate places/indoors
Your dog is always being chased by another dog but never the one doing the chasing
Always getting mounted
and Getting food, water, and toys stolen

Cat Bullying Signs

Pickles is on the right, just staring at Itty while she looks out the window.

Either passive or overt
Denies access to resources: food and water, litter box, toys, and owners
Blocks access to the best sun spots
Body language of bully: Never backing away, staring, stalking, and emitting low growl when other cat gets close
Aggressive posture: arched back, puffed out tail, flat ears, dilated pupils
Clawing, biting, and hissing
Lowers head while raising hind end as it approaches other cat
and Pinning the victim to the ground

By contrast, the bullied cat may spend most of the time hiding or away from the family. They also avoid eye contact with their bully and surrender resources to them. In addition, they might crouch in ambush, but then run off when their bully shows up. Furthermore, they’ll have a puffed out tail, flat ears, and hiss as well, especially if their bully gets too close. This is also how a cat reacts to their dog bully.

Chicken Bullying Evidence

This is a picture of Ratchet, a Salmon Faverolle we had around 4 years ago.

Chickens missing feathers
Other chickens pecking at the bullied chicken, removing feathers, and keeping that one from food
Scared chickens or scared ducks
Rooster mounting behavior toward other species
and Injured chickens

With cats and dogs you might not be sure if they’re playing or being a bully. However, you’ll know in your gut whether or not they’re playing based on the reaction of the other pet. If your cat or dog is bullying, the victim will hide, act scared, or simply not want to be around your bullying pet. But, if it’s simply play, then everyone will enjoy the experience. And they’ll hang out and cuddle together. Trust me, you’ll just know. In addition, according to this article from Care.com, if one cat starts the aggressive act more, and there’s growling and hissing, then in all probability it’s fighting. Basically it’s similar to one dog always doing the chasing while the other is being chased.

On the other hand, chickens are different. No chicken enjoys being pecked or having aggressive acts directed at them. Those birds will either just walk away. Or, if they’re a victim of actual bullying, they will hide. Chickens peck each other, particularly those higher up in the hierarchy, though it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bullying. They’re just reenforcing their pecking order. And sometimes they’re constantly reenforcing it. Take, for example, the 4 different generations of roosters we have: we have the boss, Megatron, Ravage, the 2nd oldest, Mystogan, his younger brother, and now we have a juvenile roo. Megs runs a tight ship keeping all of those boys in their places. In similar manner, Ravage keeps Mystogan in his place while Mystogan pecks at and runs after the juvenile. And the juvenile roo harries all the other babies. It looks like bullying, but it isn’t really. Since none of the antagonists continue to harass the others, it’s just normal chicken pecking and enforcing of their hierarchy.

Now you may be scratching your head on the rooster mounting behavior one. That’s what Ravage did when we had over 10 roos in our flock at one time. He mounted Squirt, the drake. At first I was wondering if he was actually trying to mate with the drake. But then I figured he didn’t have his spurs yet. So he had to be exerting some sort of dominance out of frustration for space issues and females. Well, after we slaughtered the extra roos, Ravage calmed down. Although, the drake still gives Ravage a wide berth. And the roo now has started mounting Bakugo, our Pekin. Though, I’m not sure if he’s trying to mate her due to stupidity, or if he’s still acting out of dominance.

Stopping a Bully Dog at Home

If, after getting this far, you realize, like me, that your dog could be a bully, don’t worry, because there are solutions. Trust me, I know what you’re thinking. At first, you didn’t want to admit your dog might be mean and pick on anyone else. But then, the more you thought about it, the more you just couldn’t ignore the signs. Although, the first thing to do for your bullying dog is to spay or neuter them if they’re still intact, which Sophie most definitely is. (Her surgery is scheduled for September.) Aside from fixing your dog, you can

put the bully in time-out

With a negative marker before bullying gets too far, your dog will eventually make the connection between what they’re doing and why they’re in time-out. For instance, when you want your dog to do something else, use a word or sound, like the word no.

be picky about who your bully plays with

Choose dogs to hang out with your dog that can handle and actually enjoy your dog and their pushy behavior.

intervene as necessary

Using positive interrupters before any bullying occurs, this will replace time-outs when your dog is learning better behavior. A positive marker would be something like the word yes.

find a trainer with a really good, patient teaching dog

This type of dog can put up with your dog and effectively communicate with them.

teach impulse control in the house

For example, if you’re paying attention to one pet in your house, and your bully pushes in between, ignore the bully and move away. Don’t reinforce bullying behaviors with attention. Rather train your bully dog to sit and wait his turn. And do the same with treats. But reward your non-bully pet with treats first, assuming they’re not a resource guarder.

and make sure exercise and mental stimulation demands are met

I truly think that’s what’s going on with Sophie. She requires so much due to her breed, that she gets bored at times, especially if it’s been rainy or extremely hot that we forego our outside fun. But if she does get exercised, she really does do better with the cats.

Curbing the Cat Bully

Just as with dogs, the first and best way to put an end to the bullying cat is to spay and neuter the offender, if they’re still intact. However, if they’re already fixed, try the following:

Don’t assume cats will work it out

They won’t, because they’re not people. Cats will continue to fight if they perceive a threat to their resources. But don’t get in the middle of their fight either. You don’t want to get hurt. Rather, the best option is to make a loud noise to distract them.

Also, don’t separate the resources

Instead of separating all of the resources, see where the cats prefer to congregate. Then make sure there are plenty of resources for all of them. That way the bully has a choice and won’t feel threatened.

Make playtime the same time everyday

Because cats are so schedule-oriented, keep playtime on a schedule as well.

Play at least 15 minutes with each cat per day

Further, cats get bored easily, so be sure to cycle through the toys. And the more you can play with each cat, the better.

Get pheromone diffusers for every room the cats spend together in

I asked our vet about the issue the cats were having, and he recommended the diffusers.

If there’s still bullying, see the veterinarian

Your cat might have a health issue that the vet can rule out. Or they can refer you to a pet behaviorist to help out.

Re-introduce cats that need to be separate

If cats are at-risk of hurting each other, separating for short-term is a good idea. Flying fur, bloodshed, or urine are all signs a cat’s in danger. And if it’s occurring every time the cats see each other, they need to be separated. And then re-introduce them as if they never met. Jackson Galaxy recommends re-introducing fighting cats with food. You can find the article here.

Ending Chicken Bullying

This box serves as a time-out and broody box, depending on the situation.

Unlike cats and dogs, chickens don’t get spayed or neutered. Though, you can

make sure your chickens have enough space

Inside the coop, each chicken needs approximately 4 sq ft, while they need around 10 sq ft each in the run. But that’s assuming they stay cooped up all the time. If they get to go out, they can have 5-10 sq ft each in the run.

have the proper ratio of hens to roos

If you have roosters, be sure to have at least 10 hens per rooster. Otherwise, as I’ve pointed out elsewhere, the roosters will tear up the hens’ backs.

provide enough feed and water stations

I can’t tell you how many feed and watering areas I have. It seems like each bird wants her own, the prima donnas.

and if bullying continues, separate the bully for a couple of days

Since their pecking order is all important to them, you want to separate the bully from the flock for a few days. Once the bully is back with the group, sometimes they have to re-establish the pecking order. Thus, it’s better for the bullied hen or roo.

Hints of Bullying in Human Children

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In order to have a comparison with the previous sections, the last animal I’m going to cover is the human child. Therefore, some signs a child is bullied include

bruises, cuts, and scratches
torn clothes
missing property
poor eating or sleeping
bed wetting
complaints of headaches or stomachaches
changes in the child’s mood: sad, anxious, upset, unhappy, or angry
spending time alone or doesn’t want to go out or to school
having trouble with schoolwork
and/or withdrawn

As you can see from the bullied human indicators, they reflect a combination of all of the bullied animal signs. However, reasons people bully aren’t exactly the same as animal bullying. According to a study by Ditch the Label, people are more likely to bully if they’ve suffered stress and trauma. To me that sounded like cats and chickens. If they perceive their resources are threatened, they’ll fight and generally have conflict. Additionally, according to the same study, 66% were male.

Compared to my pet household, which are mostly female, it doesn’t track. But, in the wild animal kingdom, bullying is more male dominant. Further, I didn’t include guineas in this post, which are true bullies in the yard. Every single male guinea is a bully for no reason that I can fathom, irrespective of species. Plus, it can’t have anything to do with the pecking order, given that chickens, ducks, and guineas aren’t the same species. And they don’t interact with each other, except when the male guinea attacks the other species.

In Summary

Maybe bullying serves a purpose in the animal kingdom, particularly in the wild. Nevertheless, living as we do with our pets, often in close proximity, we can’t afford to just let them be. Since allowing them to figure it out would be risking them injury. Regardless of our personal feelings toward animals, that would be costly at the very best, and inhumane at the worst. Consequently, it’s in everyone’s best interest to find out quickly why a pet is getting picked on and remedy it.

I’m happy to report that Itty and Pickles never had any bloodshed with their differences. They would both take turns chasing each other. Though there would be growling, screaming, and hissing. Itty would puff up so big to warn Pickles, who just ignored her signals. Moreover, they would both smack each other. However, their claws were evidently sheathed, since no one got injured. Regardless, currently they’re having less noisy days than before. They still chase each other, but it resembles play now more than ever. We got pheromone diffusers, gave equal attention to both of them, and rewarded play time.

Do you have any experiences where one pet bullies another one? How did you handle it?

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Tags bullying in the animal kingdom, cat bullying, dog bullying, dominance hierarchy, pecking order

Chicks ducks Hens other fowl Protecting Your Backyard Birds raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

Can You Mix Ducks with Chickens

Post author By KS
Post date July 28, 2022
1 Comment on Can You Mix Ducks with Chickens

Chickens are often the first bird homesteaders will tackle before raising other livestock. They cite practical reasons: food, composting, and pest control. Since ducks are some of the smartest and hardiest, they debut on the farm after chickens. But before getting any birds, I’ll answer the question Can you mix ducks with chickens.

You can, in fact, raise chickens and ducks together. However, there are some slight differences with both kinds of birds. And, with careful consideration, you should have no problem mixing both. So, whether or not you’ve purchased any ducks, just continue reading.

Brooding Facts for Both Ducklings and Chicks

Recently I wrote an in-depth article explaining how to raise ducklings and chicks together. So I’m only going to list the main points.

Provide the same feed for both

Contrary to popular belief, you can give medicated feed to ducklings, as I explained a short while ago. But no matter what, by the 3rd week, make sure the protein is no more than 18%, or your ducklings will be at risk for something called Angel’s Wing. And provide niacin in the form of brewer’s yeast, so the ducklings can thrive. (This needs to be provided lifelong in the duck’s diet.)

Also, regular chick fountains and nipple waterers work well with ducklings. However, shallow pans for feed are ideal due to their bills.

Similar brooder temperature for both

There is only a 5° difference between both birds when starting the brooding process. Therefore, just observe them to see whether they are cold or hot. If they huddle together, they’re cold. And if they move as far away as they can from the heat, then they are hot. And adjust accordingly.

Clean brooder daily

Both ducklings (and ducks) drink as they eat to prevent choking. And this causes a big mess in the brooder that needs to be cleaned on a daily, sometimes several times a day, basis.

Harassment

Depending on the number and breed of chicks and ducklings you have, could determine who does the bullying and who gets bullied. In my experience, our chicks have always done the bullying until they were juveniles. But by then, the ducks were much larger, thus the roles were reversed.

It’s definitely simpler to raise chickens and ducks on their own. However, it’s not unrealistic to raise them together either.

Teenager Ducks and Chickens

At this stage of development, your ducks and chickens are going through puberty. You know, their voices crack and they look fugly. In addition, you might notice your ducks bullying the chickens they once hung out with. But by the time they’re all adults, this behavior generally stops.

The 3 ducks we recently raised with our juvenile chickens bullied their brooder buddies. And they even tried to bully one of our cats. But that only lasted until the 2 juvie drakes were sold to someone in need of them, so the lone female no longer feels the need to bully. Thus, it’s the other way around again. Plus, when we raised Squirt, the boss drake, he was raised alone by me. Therefore, he really didn’t bully anyone, and no one bullied him. I’m still constantly learning about ducks. And I know I don’t know all there is to know about them.

Advice for Smooth Desegregation

This picture shows ice in the pool; and that’s due to the triple digit heat lately.

Depending on the time of year and temperature will determine when you move your newbies outside. For instance, if it’s spring and still chilly out, then wait till the chicks are ~ 5-6 weeks old. However, if it’s summer and hot in the evenings, like it’s been lately, you don’t necessarily need a heat lamp. But still wait for the chicks to get to 5-6 weeks old for size. Then you need to

Check your coop space

Ducks need twice as much space as chickens do. And if your chickens use a ramp to get in the coop, you might need to come up with something so the ducks can get in too.

Also, ducks don’t use nesting boxes. Therefore, just put some straw on the floor of the coop, and they’re fine.

Circulate the air in the coop

You likely already have your coop well ventilated with your existing flock. However, since ducks emit ~ 90% moisture, there needs to be adequate circulation in the form of predator-proof windows and air exhaust vents on the roof.

Gradually mix your new ducks and chickens with the established flock

Put your juvenile mixed birds in a pen where they and your primary flock can see each other without aggression for a few days to a week.

Provide water

This source of water is different from the drinking water. Though you will see both the chickens and ducks drinking from it. But if you don’t provide this water source for the ducks to bathe and preen their feathers, they can develop wet feather.

Mixing Adult Ducks and Chickens

Up to this point I’ve covered the basics from brooding ducklings and chicks together to integrating the juveniles with the adults. From the time the ducks are adults, they no longer hang out with the chickens they were raised with. Unless they happen to be eating, sharing snacks, or drinking together. Or unless you have a species-confused duck, like me.

Now it’s time to go over some final important details.

Continue to supply the same type of feed for ALL backyard birds

Once the ducks and chickens you raised are adults, they can eat layer feed like everyone else. And continue adding 1 TBSP brewer’s yeast to 1 cup of feed.

Carry on with same feeders and waterers

Since your duck-raised chickens are used to eating out of a shallow pan, continue that with the newbies. However, with your established flock, you can try keeping the technique you’ve been using. Though, if they start eating the newbies’ food, you may need to just switch everyone to the new method. And the same goes for their waterers.

Provide a watering hole

This is one of the most important points, because ducks not only love water, they need it. And not just drinking water either. They need access to a source of water to swim and bathe in. But again, it doesn’t need to be custom. You can just purchase a kiddie pool, and they will be content.

Also, when ducks swim, they poo; and they drink from this water source as well. And the chickens might too. So it needs to be changed at least twice daily.

At about this point, you might be wondering if chickens will drown in the kiddie pool. And the answer is debatable. Sure, chickens can’t swim like ducks. Plus, their feathers aren’t waterproof, and they lack webbed feet. But since they don’t like water the way ducks do, they usually only approach the watering hole to drink. From the time we’ve had our ducks and kiddie pool, no chickens have drowned. Though chicks should definitely be monitored.

Can You Mix Roosters and Drakes

In this picture, it looks like the 2 males are sharing a moment.

Given both roosters and drakes can be territorial, it’s only natural to wonder if you can have both at the same time. I usually only keep 2 adult roosters at any time. And they’ve never had a problem with the drake, whichever one I had, even when it was the sex-crazed Kirishima.

But it’s true that drakes might try to mate with hens. And this is usually the case when there aren’t enough females for the drakes. Just as there is a proper ratio for hens to roosters, there’s a proper ratio for ducks to drakes. Proper in this sense maintains harmony in the flock.

Therefore, to prevent abuse to your hens and ducks, and any fighting between roosters and drakes, provide enough females for both. You will find various recommendations on this subject. But I advise you to err on the side of caution, especially regarding mating season and drakes. Each rooster needs ~ 10-12 hens, while drakes require ~ 3-6 ducks each. You know what they say? The more the merrier.

What About Flock Dynamics

Now that you’ve hypothetically (or realistically) integrated ducks into your flock, has the pecking order changed? Did you notice whether the ducklings, then juvenile ducks had a hierarchy remotely similar to the chickens?

Most duck lovers agree, me included, that ducks have a pecking order. Though it’s way laid back compared to chickens: they may chase, peck at (in their own way), or quack at someone. But usually the group doesn’t gang up on that someone, like chickens do.

In addition, the boss in each group is the male. But if there are 2 roosters, it is generally the senior rooster, unless he is weaker or has been challenged and fallen from grace. Drakes are different. The senior drake is more concerned with mating, from what I’ve observed, and so that influences most things. We had 2 juvenile drakes recently and Squirt ignored them; he’s only interested in the females. However, I’m happy to report, he hasn’t killed any ducks, unlike his predecessor. And the juvenile drakes, from what I observed, were just living life, being kids.

Also, my roosters stay away from Squirt, although I’m not sure why. But then, they stay away from the ducks altogether; almost pretend like they’re not there. On the other hand, Squirt will get in Megatron’s face and yell at him only when Bakugo is flirting with him. Thankfully they haven’t come to blows yet.

So, Can You Mix Ducks with Chickens

While raising chicks and ducklings together can be difficult, it’s not theoretical. Plus, they form a unit until they become adults. And at that time they tend to stay with their own kind. Once adults, they might ignore one another, but they don’t squabble or fight each other. Furthermore, males of both groups are boss of the yard. However, if there was ever any contest, the drake would be the clear winner. Though it’s the duck’s callous disregard of the pecking order that makes one think they don’t even have one. But they do, in their own duck-ish way.

I sincerely hope I’ve answered any questions you might have had about mixing ducks with chickens. Do you currently have any ducks? Or are you thinking about adding any? Your comments are appreciated.

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Tags mixing ducks with chickens, pecking order, pecking order in a mixed flock, raising ducks with chickens

Chicks Hens Protecting Your Backyard Birds raising happy, healthy chickens Roosters

Pecking Order Behavior In Chickens

Post author By KS
Post date June 3, 2021
17 Comments on Pecking Order Behavior In Chickens

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

What is typical pecking order behavior in chickens? And how do you know if your birds have a successful social order? If you have a backyard flock or are even fairly new to this, then you most likely have seen this behavior. Where the birds will chest bump each other, flap their wings, puff themselves up in order to look bigger, and often times pull feathers out as they peck one or several birds.

If you’ve observed this in your birds, where they seemingly pick on each other for no cause, they aren’t necessarily being mean. Because they aren’t like us. They don’t understand between good and evil, right and wrong. But the chances are high that they are displaying what is called the pecking order.

SO WHAT IS THE PECKING ORDER IN CHICKENS?

The earliest use of pecking order referred to chickens displaying their supremacy over each other. It includes pecking and was used in the 1920s by a Norwegian zoologist to describe their behavior.

Pecking is just one aspect of it. However, it does certainly capture the essence of the phrase. Because, the birds in charge, or ahead in the hierarchy, will peck the ones lower down the totem pole to keep everyone in line.

The behavior isn’t just limited to pecking though. Or to adults. If you have an established flock, you might not see a lot of aggression. At least not any more. Because they’ve settled their class structure for the time being. But if you add new members, or get chicks, then you tend to see more activity that we would consider ‘mean‘ but are perfectly acceptable to chickens.

As I mentioned earlier, they can puff themselves out and chest thump each other. Typically this occurs with birds of similar rank and size. An adolescent rooster, who just got introduced to the flock, won’t necessarily challenge the established rooster for dominance of the flock. He doesn’t even have his spurs yet. No, he will wait submissively until he’s bigger and thinks he has a chance against the bigger roo.

The same goes for hens. The more accepted, older hens will put the younger, newer ones in their places quickly. And those hens will, likewise, work out the hierarchy between themselves. Depending upon the breeds you have can determine if they will ascend to top dog position; some birds aspire to rule, it seems, while nobody wants to be on the bottom.

dominant hen in social order — The hen eating is more dominant than the others waiting around.

WHY IS THE CHICKEN PECKING ORDER IMPORTANT?

The purpose of the pecking order for chickens is simply to keep order. If they didn’t have a class system, it would be chaotic in the backyard. So, if you only have one chicken, you aren’t going to have a pecking order. Or see much pecking order activity. Although, once you get more birds, they will quickly establish their social order. And normally it’s the most socially dominant hen in charge, unless you have a rooster.

If there is just one rooster, he’s in charge. And then the most socially dominant hens, working out their own class system between themselves. Though, if you have two roosters, it’s usually the most aggressive one who’s boss, unless one of them is young. And then the young rooster is somewhere in the mix; he can be just below the boss rooster or even under the oldest hens. We still only have two roosters, and they are still the ones in charge. But, after them, it’s the most dominant hen or hens.

When Cass, our first real rooster, died, and Megatron became the boss, he was very eager to do his duty. Although, our two boss hens, Fives and Echo, had a thing or two they wanted to teach him before they would allow him to take over.

They were never mean to him before; they never had a reason to prior to this. However, when he assumed a new position, and a very important one at that, I can well imagine that the two sisters had some very momentous things they wanted Megatron to understand. He was maybe only a year old, and they were old hands at this, raising chicks and wayward roosters. They were better suited to protect the flock than the last rooster, and they knew it. So they weren’t about to let some upstart waltz in their flock, acting like he knew what he was doing, when he didn’t.

It was actually quite interesting to watch how they interacted with him. I’m not kidding you, those two old hens tackled my 1 year old rooster. And at first, he fought back, but then, I think he began to understand that he was not the boss . . . yet. It was a demonstration in front of the whole flock. After a while their abuse ceased. And over the next few days the girls eased up on him, possibly giving him instructions on how to take care of his harem, before they too submitted themselves to him.

chickens in established pecking order — A harmonious flock where every member knows their place in the social order.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CHICKEN PECKING ORDER?

I’ve already mentioned that there will be pecking in a backyard flock. And for an established flock, it’s limited to mostly pecking. In a new or young flock, or one where new members are being added, you will see more serious attacks between members. Although, that isn’t all that it’s about. The pecking order determines when the birds eat, drink, lay eggs, dust bathe, and where they sleep. And in the case of roosters, when they can crow and mate. So the birds at the top of the hierarchy get first and best dibs, while those on the bottom get the leftovers.

If a chicken steps out of line, metaphorically, and eats before they’re supposed to, or is laying an egg when the boss hen wants to, then the boss hen, (or the hen who’s in a better position on the social ladder), will peck the hen who usurped her place and the hen with the lower social standing will get in trouble. I have seen hens drag other hens away from the feed dish or nesting box. They are that serious about their pecking order. And the hen who got pecked usually doesn’t retaliate even if she’s ten times bigger and could crush the other bird.

Currently we only have our rooster as the boss. And since Echo and Fives died, no other hens have risen to the challenge to take their places in guiding the flock. I shouldn’t be surprised, since most of our birds are docile. They’re content with their positions, so long as they’re not on the bottom. You can read about them here.

You know your backyard flock has a successful social order when the boss maintains the peace. Usually that position is reserved mostly for roosters, however a good hen can do this as well. Sometimes a hen or a rooster will step out of line and disturb the homeostasis for only a moment. In which case, the boss will soon take care of it.

If there are 2 roosters, and the younger one upsets that balance, he might end up challenging the boss rooster. That’s what happened in the picture below. Since Megatron still has his spurs and was much bigger, Baby Nay lost the fight. Normally Baby Nay would run from confrontations with his dad. But not that day. For whatever reason, he decided it was time to take the risk.

HOW TO TELL IF IT’S NORMAL PECKING ORDER BEHAVIOR INSTEAD BULLYING

How can you know if your birds are displaying normal social order activity? I mean, it sort of looks like they’re all bullies, right? I admit, for a long time it bothered me how my backyard flock treated each other. But especially how the adults would treat the younger birds.

When we have adolescent chickens, and Megatron gets around them, he makes a special point of pecking them. And it appears really hard. But that might be due to his larger beak.

It wasn’t until quite recently that I realized he’s most likely using his authority as the boss to teach and keep the youngsters in line. And not really being mean and wanting to eat his kids.

When you introduce new members to your existing flock, it will inevitably look like abuse. But especially if you do it too fast, only introduce one new member, or one of the chickens gets an injury or has an abnormality. Make no mistake, the chickens will abuse that bird. And it won’t be just one mean hen. In general, even your sweetest hens will join in the abuse. And you will have absolutely no doubts.

flock of hens on green field — Photo by Alexas Fotos on Pexels.com

WHAT TO DO IF A BIRD GETS TOO BULLIED

It does happen with the backyard flock; you will inevitably get a chicken who will be the bully. Or you will get a hen who will be the one who gets bullied. We have had both kinds of birds, and both can be frustrating. I want all of our birds to get along. However, that’s not how they are built. They are built to eat, drink, sleep, have chicks, and survive. If there’s a member of the flock who is weaker, they automatically pick on that one. Maybe they’re trying to beat the weakness out of that particular member, but I don’t really think so.

They certainly don’t have human emotions; our complex emotions like feeling sorry or sorrow for something that is weaker, hurt, or sick. They want it far from them. It could be instinctual, because they’re preventing the spread of disease. The time we had Kix, the Wyandotte mixed hen we incubated, (who had a leg that didn’t develop completely), the flock abused her. Though, she learned to hide from the rest of the birds. And eventually the abuse stopped, perhaps because they figured she knew her place.

The times when we’ve had a relentlessly abusive hen, we’ve separated her from the flock. Because the birds like to stay together. And they have their social order established, so if you separate them, totally away from each other, even for a day, sometimes they have to start all over. Which means the offending bird will stop behaving badly, at least for a time.

Another option, which we’ve tried, is Pinless Peepers or Blinders, by attaching them to the hen’s nostrils. They make it difficult for the disagreeable hen to see very much, so that she can’t abuse anymore. Pinless Peepers are also a good preventative for egg-eating and cannibalism. The hens don’t like them obviously, and they can be difficult to put on. Although, once they’re on, they help a ton.

For more information on the chicken pecking order, click here.

Tags backyard flock pecking order, chicken hierarchy, pecking order