Cutie Pie the hen is getting picked on. First her children started beating her up. Upon returning to her original flock after a 2 or 3 month separation her old gal pals, no longer remembering their former coop mate, started bullying her.
Cutie Pie is one of the original Composting Chickens of Governors Island. This delicate mustard and grey patterned bird lays the sky blue eggs characteristic of her breed. Five of these eggs hatched in October 2012, and she and her babies were moved from the flock to a rooftop winter home in Manhattan.
As her offspring grew larger and their coop became more crowded, they began to bully and harass their mom. Why? Is it because she is small? Is she rude and obnoxious (a bird called Cutie Pie !?). Is she a trouble maker? Not at all.
It’s because of the social hierarchy of a flock-the pecking order. Pecking order can be determined by gender, age, personality or circumstances. Birds at the top of the order get the best food and best space on the roost. They can boss around the other birds. Close quarters, a new bird introduced into an established flock, or illness in the group can disrupt the pecking order.
The current pecking order of the Composting Chickens has Cutie Pie as the low man on the totem pole. Oddly, her vulnerability among the birds has given her dominance over her human caretakers. She is hand fed to ensure she gets her fair share, and she squawks and complains if she is not fed fast enough.
Once all the birds return to their super spacious summer home on Governors Island we’ll see if and how the pecking order adjusts itself. Stay tuned.