Coolz Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Sooo when we got them, Nugs was boss (for about 2 days) and she was ousted by Pandora who since then has been lady bossy-boots but of a calm and assertive type of leadership. 9 times out of 10, Pan has been first though the door on a morning (or should I say bursting through the door ) but for the past 2 or 3 mornings it's been Nugs again. And this morning it was Nugs, then Lois and then Pan ( who was a bit vocal about it). I thought maybe it was just perhaps a one off and maybe Pan had been laying but then remembered all this weekend it had been Nugs first.. I made a point of looking before I had to scurry to the bus stop for work and saw that Nuggets was first at the food and Pan was stood near the ramp looking around. So, my questions are (as I know I can waffle and my questions can become lost in my waffling) 1) Do hens re-jig themselves? I had assumed once they'd established themselves that they'd pretty much stay like that unless one died or new hens arrived? 2) I'm assuming that once in a blue moon, another one will come out first before the boss? Is this right? 3) I had to put my girls to bed last night half an hour early (just before dusk basically) and they were a bit stubborn about going in so had to pick them up one at a time (which to be fair took about 20 secs. None of them flapped about, they just sat waiting) and I put them in, in their "order" of boss, 2nd in command and dogs-body - is that right? On rare occasions where I might need to put them in, should I do them in order? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Best answer these in reverse order Coolz. I'd put them in as you describe. We often have the lower pecking order outside waiting for the top hen. This changes with a cockerel though. It's normal for the lowest to come shooting out to get to the feeder first before being bullied off it by a higher ranking hen. Otherwise she'd have to wait for all the others to eat in turn. Depends on their nature though as sometimes the top hen will allow a lower one to eat with her. Hens rarely re-jig themselves in my experience unless one goes broody or moults. During the moult the pecking order can get severely disrupted lower down. The top hen remains top though. In the wild only the offspring of the top hen can take top hen position in the event of her demise apparently. We have seen similar behaviour in our flocks with no-one stepping forward to lead, the second hen remaining quiet and not calling the others to food as the top hen used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
