Did you ever wonder ‘What’s with the chicken pecking order?’ Chickens have a pecking order that helps the flock work well together. Just like in society, someone needs to be in charge for things to run smoothly. The top of the flock stays vigilant and makes sure that the others are safe. The head hen gets whatever she wants and also keeps the flock peaceful.
The hen hierarchy is like a ladder. One hen is at the top of the ladder and pecks another and then the next hen pecks the one on the next rung, and so on. This helps the flock to live peacefully and all the hens know what they can get away with and what is expected of them.
You might think that your chicken or chickens are being bullied if you are bringing new chickens into your flock. Try your darndest to not interfere unless you think that one of the hens is in danger.
What Causes Chicken Bullying?
Let’s talk about chicken bullying. There are several reasons why chicken bullying can occur. Stress, overcrowding, boredom, sickness, broodiness, and the breed.
Stress
Chickens like sameness. Just like our bodies, we need routines, chickens need routines. If they have a change in their routines, then they may become stressed. This could include a change in feed or a predator that is climbing around.
Your girls might be stressed because one of them dies, or mites could be in some of the flockmates. This could cause all of the chickens to feel the itchiness and stress can result. We had one die last November so then that caused one of our black-colored chickens to start being the bottom of the rung. We just brought in some black sex links (two of them) and now they are the bottom of the barrel.
We use a tonic called apple cider vinegar water. Which is 2 tablespoons of ACV to 1 gallon of water for around two weeks straight. We also have tried some chicken electrolytes for a day or two. This is shown to help reduce the aggressiveness in your flock.
PIN FOR LATER!
Overcrowding
Each chicken needs 3-5 square footage in the coop if they have access to the outdoors. If they are confined, they need 10 square feet per bird. The amount of roost space your coop has determines how many chickens you have more than any other factors. If you have smaller breeds they need about 8 inches of roosting space per bird, but larger hens may require up to 12 inches.
In the run, they need about 8 square feet. Don’t get too carried away, because this can cause more problems than you think. Free-range birds will be the happiest, but I know what you’re thinking, those big bad predator types might get them.
If you don’t free range, chicken tractors can pair down a lot of the aggressive behavior because it can allow them to have new areas to explore, bugs, and a variety of food.
Boredom
When chickens are bored they tend to peck at each other more. Chicken toys can help, and so do treats of various kinds. In the winter this can be an issue more than in the summer if there is a lot of snow on the ground.
If you notice feather picking, follow through and make sure it doesn’t lead to cannibalism. You can see this issue if you watch your chickens every day. Do any of your girls keep to themselves and avoid going in the coop?
Sickness
Chickens are smart. They know when one of the flockmates is sick. If they are in an outdoor run, the birds might start pecking the one who is sick. In the wild, the sick one might have been pushed out of the flock.
If you notice one of your chickens is looking sickly, bringing them inside and caring for them in safety and peace might help them get better faster. We brought our chicken, Snowflake inside for a week and a half, but nothing did any good. I’m glad I did it because she would’ve been bullied. And even though she passed away at least she passed away feeling loved and peaceful.
Broodiness
If a hen is broody she will be grumpy. She will peck you and anyone else who comes near her eggs that she sits on all day long. She might choose to sit on eggs even when they are not fertilized. Some hens might go broody even though they don’t have any eggs to sit on.
If she is broody then you can help her through this part of her life. Otherwise, she will be aggressive and make everyone miserable.
Breed
Sometimes pecking happens because of how the breed is which causes them to be more aggressive. Australops and Orpingtons are more of a laid-back chicken. While Rhode Island Reds and Delawares are more territorial.
How to Prevent & Stop Chicken Bullying
We don’t like to see signs of bullying in our flock. If it makes you uncomfortable as well, there are things we can do as flock owners. And surprisingly, if there is a bully, they will be from the middle of the pecking order.
To prevent chicken bullying, you should separate your newest members from the rest of the flock for at least a week. We did not do this, and now I regret it. Our littlest member of the family is still not sleeping on a roost. She sleeps in one of the nesting boxes.
Once you see any bullying going on for more than several days, you should place them in a time out such as a huge dog kennel like we have. Or you can also cordon off some area with a temporary chicken wire fencing that covers a corner of the outdoor run.
Space Things Out
If you place the new chickens in a cordoned-off area, the old chickens will be able to see the new faces but not touch them. Or you can put the regular chickens in a pen and let the newer chickens “free-range”.
You may have to juggle the chickens back and forth to the pens and roosts. Do this until the chickens don’t notice each other as much.
This is an optional process. Free range all the birds together outside of the outdoor run. Most of the time, the established flock will stay together and the newer birds will hang out. It may be harder to lure the new chickens back into the run but if you consistently use mealworms, they will get the hang of it. My husband has been digging a trench in the backyard and while he’s out there he lets the chickens free range. This allows them to have more area to stretch their wings and look for bugs.
When you are ready to integrate them, allow the new chickens to wander out on their own. The new birds will probably want to stick close to their pen for a while but then they will feel more comfortable.
Feel free to go back and do this process over and over as needed. The pecking order may go through some changes as it is getting established. Make sure everyone is getting adequate food and water. Step in if there is any bullying or continued pecking going on.
Add Entertainment
Try adding some boredom-busters to distract your chickens from pecking each other. You can create inexpensive chicken toys or treats for them. Try creating a hanging cabbage tetherball toy! Food is always a hit! Try this flock block recipe.
Scratch is a good idea to help alleviate boredom in the winter or fall, and adds additional calories. A few handfuls a day thrown in the yard can be just what your chickens need to get their minds off bullying each other.
Thanks for stopping by Our Eden! What have you experienced with chickens pecking each other or the pecking order? Tell us at Our Eden community so we can learn from each other in the comments below.
Blessings!
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