Pecking order

The pecking order is the social hierarchy a flock of chickens works out among themselves, determining which birds eat and drink first, which get first pick of favored roosting spots, and which yield to others during minor disputes. It gets established through posturing, chasing, and pecking, most actively when a flock is young or when new birds are introduced to an existing group.

Some jostling and the occasional sharp peck are a normal part of this process and usually settle down once the hierarchy is clear, but ongoing conflict that draws blood or targets one bird repeatedly is a different problem, often made worse by crowding or too few feeders and waterers for the flock size. A larger flock generally handles pecking order disputes more calmly when there is enough space and enough feeding stations that lower-ranked birds are not forced to compete constantly.

Introducing new birds works best done gradually, letting them see and be seen by the existing flock through a fence before being placed together directly, rather than dropping a stranger into the coop overnight. A common mistake is skipping that gradual introduction, or keeping a flock in tight quarters with only one feeder, both of which tend to turn a normal pecking order into ongoing bullying.