Chicken bald back

[grahamrhind]

If I may be so bold, another request for some enlightenment from those whose chicken experience is greater than mine.

 

I'm wondering about the chicken social structure and my place within it.

 

I started with two chickens, which came to me as a source of food but otherwise largely ignored me. When one died (the dominant one) the remaining one then began following me around with a desperation which was worrying. She didn't need anything in particular, as far as I could judge, and when she was with me she would peck around as normal, but if I moved, so did she.

 

I got two new hens and normality resumed - the three went off together, I was just there for food (though the lowest ranked hen did seem to prefer to be around me than around the other two). Then, a couple of days ago, the (dominant) hen died and the remaining two reverted back into the behaviour of following me, with that desperate look in their eyes, wherever I go.

 

Is this normal? Does anybody know why they act like this and what they actually expect from me?

 

Cheers!

[jimnpaula]

They are flock animals and will establish a pecking order where there is a leader (a cockeral if your neighbours allow, or one of the hens assumes this position) and then varying levels of dominance until the bottom hen. Top bird sorts everyone out and settles disputes, bottom bird submits to everyone and gets chased off the feeders/eats last etc.

 

Your role as food provider puts you up near the top of social standing so with the loss of your top bird the lower ranks are looking to you for the leadership she provided, but of course you can't always be with them. They don't need anything more from you other than reassurance that someone else is in charge! As they adjust to the situation one of them will step up to become the leader and their neediness will diminish.

 

At least - that's what I think, but I'm just an amateur chicken psychologist!

Condolences on losing one of your chooks.

[grahamrhind]

Thanks JimnPaula.

 

I'd always assumed I was top hen/cockerel because they hens always crouch into the "ready to mate" position when I look at them/get near them. But then again, they always peck at my shoes and legs whenever I stand still, which I'd assumed was curiosity - perhaps they're testing my place in the pecking order?

[jimnpaula]

Perhaps, I don't really know! I suspect we are equivalent to top in the pecking order, but not part of the pecking order. Maybe we are viewed as "large food providing thing with power to pick us up and shut us away" and we get deferred to because of that. That is unless you have a cockerel/top hen that thinks otherwise and tries to put you in your place by attacking you instead; usual advice is then to pick them up and carry them around thus enforce your authority over them.