Last week when I was cooking at the church I walked some food scraps across the
parking lot to the
chicken coop. Much to my surprise it was fuller than it used to be. In addition to
the three usual hens there were also three young pullets sharing the space.
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| These chicks are always on the move! |
There has always a definite pecking order in the coop and it's even more obvious now. The two trios of females are always on opposite sides, and the juveniles keep an eye out for the adults and move as a group.
Today I distributed some melon and strawberry chunks. I put most of them where the old hens were hanging out, but also tossed a couple of handfuls over towards the youngsters. The alpha hen ran over to also claim that food, causing the newbies to scatter in terror. I didn't think that was fair, so I opened up the the closed raised garden bed and tore off three leaves of lettuce and fed one leaf to each them through the fence.
Five years ago: Seedlings, Shoots, and Sprouts
Chickens can be very fierce about their pecking order!
ReplyDeleteI'm learning to understand that!
DeleteGlad you helped them out -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI have a soft spot for critters.
DeleteEvery living thing has its place in the hierarchy. I'm glad you treated the pullets to lettuce.
ReplyDelete'Hierarchy' is a good word to describe it.
DeleteAw!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if we human should help them out...the newbies must learn or they might fight every time you feed them.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that my sporadic presence will have any lasting effect.
DeleteGiven enough time, animals and humans seem to define their place in the pecking order, which sounds like an awful analogy, but seems so true with the chickens especially.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recent visit and comment on my post. I am finding the dryer balls useful and plan to continue as I haven't had any issues with static as some folks reported. Coincidentally, another blog friend, named Kathy, also lives in Missouri. I hope you will revisit any time!
Another blogger had mentioned Kathy from the Ozarks. I've visited her blog and found a lot of familiar commenters there.
DeleteSomeone told me chickens can be mean. I've never really spent time with them to know but that wasn't nice to the babies.
ReplyDeleteI guess given that Nature can be cruel individual species might tend to go the same way.
DeleteNever had chickens and this is good enough reason to keep it that way. Plus I don't think Lucy or Frizzle would like have such tasty snacks in the backyard.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that the doggos would enjoy the challenge.
DeleteWhere do they live in the winter?
ReplyDeleteIn the enclosed nesting area, as far as I know.
DeleteWell Survival of the fittest in nature!
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteYou have a good heart ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you :-)
DeleteYes, there is a pecking order ...
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Pecking Order is the way they teach their own to have respect and know their place within the community. But it does seem harsh how Natural Order teach...Dawn the Bohemian
ReplyDeleteNature can indeed be harsh.
DeleteAlpha Hen should be the title of an animated series, haha.
ReplyDeleteGood one!
DeleteThis is how you find out the real meaning of pecking order!
ReplyDeletemom had lots of chickens and it reminds me so much from past :)
ReplyDeletehow sweet of you to feed youngsters through the fence