Unsecure chicken perches

[happy_monday]

This morning, while lying in bed listening to the gentle bok bok bocking of (seemingly) happy, contented hens I suddenly heard a bit of a kerfuffle. Looked out of the window to see my young white star (Samuel Pepys) going for her coop-mate black rock (Vidal Sassoon) in a really aggressive manner! These girls have lived together with their skyline friend (Bananarama) in an eglu go for well over a month now (after premature death of Samuel Pepys' speckly friend soon after getting home) without any problems - I thought they were friends... Is it normal for a pecking order dispute to break out after that long together?

Anyway, I've let them out to FR with the big girls now and peace is largely reigning. Does anyone have any ideas as to why Samuel Pepys might have turned so mean overnight? I'm wondering of she's feeling the need to dominate as the slightly younger Vidal Sassoon may be about to lay her first egg? Samuel Pepys has been laying for a few weeks now and was/is top hen. No feathers are missing and no blood has been drawn but both are making quite lot of noise.

I'd be really grateful for any ideas here...

[happy_monday1984]

This morning, while lying in bed listening to the gentle bok bok bocking of (seemingly) happy, contented hens I suddenly heard a bit of a kerfuffle. Looked out of the window to see my young white star (Samuel Pepys) going for her coop-mate black rock (Vidal Sassoon) in a really aggressive manner! These girls have lived together with their skyline friend (Bananarama) in an eglu go for well over a month now (after premature death of Samuel Pepys' speckly friend soon after getting home) without any problems - I thought they were friends... Is it normal for a pecking order dispute to break out after that long together?

Anyway, I've let them out to FR with the big girls now and peace is largely reigning. Does anyone have any ideas as to why Samuel Pepys might have turned so mean overnight? I'm wondering of she's feeling the need to dominate as the slightly younger Vidal Sassoon may be about to lay her first egg? Samuel Pepys has been laying for a few weeks now and was/is top hen. No feathers are missing and no blood has been drawn but both are making quite lot of noise.

I'd be really grateful for any ideas here...

 

Ah ha, found my login now... oops...

[good_egg]

I was told that hens who lay rank automatically higher up the pecking order than those that are yet to come in to lay. It may be that if Vidal Sassoon was showing signs of gaining layer status then Samuel Pepys felt the need to re-assert her position. I'm sure they will sort it out in a week or two and order will resume. Great names by the way!

[happy_monday1984]

Thanks Good Egg, hopefully it is just that Vidal Sassoon is going to lay soon (she's taking her time over it!)... they all seem to be getting along just fine for now, will report back later...

naughty chickens...

[Purplemaniacs]

With my first group of chooks I found that they had a falling out each time one came into lay either for the first time or after a break. Some were small arguements others were big sometimes resulting in blood and a seperated chook while the injury healed.

 

Chrissie