It seems like there is a pecking order or hierarchy in all walks of life and it has existed in history for all time. There is a hierarchy in family units, towns, countries, cultures, and religious organizations. There are people who make good leaders, who love a challenge and aren’t afraid of failure. They are willing to take on the responsibility for protecting others and helping to provide direction for life improvements. Those at the top of the human pecking order are generally elected or appointed because of previous good works and integrity. However, history has shown us the there have been successors who achieved their ranking position on the battlefields. It appears that social groups need pecking orders.
but the only way this is accomplished is by establishing a pecking order.
It’s the same in the animal kingdom. All social animal groups have a hierarchy. It is generally the strongest male of the species who assumes or earns the lead role in the group. The leaders in animal groups do not attain their positions by vote, but through battle with the previous leader, or asserting their strength and dominant character. It’s possible that he might assume the role when the patriarch dies or leaves the group, but generally some sort of duel determines who the leader will be. In taking over the lead position he assumes all rights to breed, protect and find food for those he watches over. There is generally a second in charge and all remaining members in the group take a lesser position in the hierarchy down to the last, lowly post. Every animal in the group has a ranking. This ranking usually determines things like who eats first, where they sleep, and who gets to breed. Sometimes it’s difficult to watch as our animals bully each other, or fight, as they establish pecking orders and vie for a spot in the ranking, but this appears to be just the way Mother Nature works. It is an innate behavior. No matter how much you scold your rooster or your dogs, there will be squabbles until a pecking order is established.
The term pecking order came about as a result of a young Norwegian who was captivated by chickens. At a young age he watched, interacted with and kept notes on chickens, identifying for the first time the social hierarchy among the birds. Squabbles occur, usually over food, and the loser of the dispute will forever submit to the winner. High ranking chickens will occasionally remind others of their high ranking by inflicting a painful peck. Because of this Norwegian’s observations, the social ranking of chickens and other animals has been studied in greater depth.
In the chicken coop it is interesting to watch the dynamics of your birds and try to pick out those who rule the roost. If you have a rooster in your flock, he will probably assume the top spot with a younger male following in the second spot. Next the hens will follow. The top ranking hens will generally roost up higher, safer from predators. They will often be the first to eat, shooing others away until they are finished. Lower ranking hens are reminded of their position by those higher ranking hens who will administer stern pecks, sometimes even drawing blood. Introducing new birds into a flock can occasionally be brutal. Newcomers to an existing flock must find their position in the pecking order. They can’t get around it. If they have a strong personality they might actually assume a position mid-way up the ladder. Docile young ones will generally start at the bottom and have to work their way up. If there are no roosters in the flock then a dominant hen will assume the role as leader and protector, with the remaining hens descending down the ranking ladder.
injured hen when it is time for her to reintegrate back into the flock.
Problems can occur when an existing hen is removed from the flock for a time. It is likely that they will have to reclaim their ranking or risk falling lower in the order. My mom had a pretty high ranking hen who hatched some chicks. She was moved from the main coop with her babies to an area adjacent where they could see the other birds but not interact. When they were reintroduced to the flock, momma hen was knocked down to the lowest rank. One of her babies ended up ranking higher than she did. She was demoted to the lowest roost and pushed away from the food until the others were done eating. The other hens did not treat her very nicely. It’s difficult to say exactly why the hens reacted to her return so negatively. Her previous position had most likely been filled and no one wanted a demotion! More recently I had two mommas who both hatched chicks, together in the same nesting box. I put both mommas and babies in the brooder pen inside the main coop hoping to reduce potential problems. When I let them out of the brooder pen, there were still a few quick squabbles as ranks were reestablished. Thankfully it was quick and painless. I believe that having them in the same area where they could see one another and interact helped with the reintegration process. And now the older hens might give the little ones just a quick peck to put them in their place, but they aren’t out for blood.
I have five Pekin ducks, three females and two males, who were all raised together. Even though they are free-range, they hang out together as a group. The largest male is definitely the boss. Whenever I feed them, he watches over his flock for a minute before he joins in feeding. He is making sure his birds get first shot at the food dish and this is his routine. I also have three African geese in with my chickens. They are not afraid to exert their authority if some chickens seem to be misbehaving. They will give the offending chicken a stern bite and the unwanted behavior stops quickly.
Goats establish a pecking order, even if there is only two or three in the herd. Usually the oldest, strongest and largest doe in the herd assumes the position of herd queen. Again, the herd queen gets to eat first and she gets the best sleeping spots. In return, she leads the herd out to pasture, instructs the others in which plants are good to eat and which aren’t and determines if new plants are edible. She also will take a stand to protect the rest of the herd against predators. Her offspring are born into royalty, taking up high ranking positions just under their mom and are often the ones to take over as leader when she dies or becomes sick. Establishing rank often involves biting and head butting, which often looks painful. Usually these squabbles are short-lived as ranks are established and life goes on.
The important thing to understand is that a social hierarchy is natural in the animal kingdom. The squabbles, the bullying, the fights are going to happen. Establishing social rankings for the purpose of protecting, leading, breeding , and eating is something that is normal behavior in animal groups and rankings must be established. Once the pecking order is decided upon, things will calm down and order will ensue…at least for a little while.