When do you consider re-homing?

amateureggs

In the Brooder
Apr 8, 2016
25
5
34
Utah
Hi, I have a flock of 7 birds, 2 of my birds are a little over a year old and the remaining 5 are about 5 months. One of the older chickens gets along really well with the chicks, no problems there. My other one, the buff, has picked on them from day 1. Initially I thought they just need some time and eventually she'll get over it but the aggressive behavior just seems to get worse. She has singled out our rhoad island red rooster and charges him, pins him down, plucks out his feathers and just this morning she body slammed him against the coop. I'm seriously afraid she'll injure him before he figures out he can defend himself. My chickens free range so during the day they can just keep their distance, but they are all cooped up together at night, or during bad weather. I hate to consider re-homing as the buff is my daughters favorite but I really don't want to have a dead/injured chick. Also because the chickens do free range moving her to a different part of the yard won't work, my chickens have access to all of our property. And I really don't want to bring her inside, I don't have a garage. What do you think?
 
How long has this been going on...did you raise the chicks from hatch/day olds?
How long have the birds been together/integrated?
How big is your coop(feet by feet)..pics might help too?

I'd put a wire crate in coop and isolate either the cockerel or the hen...or rotate them.

Sounds like an adult hen taking a young cockerel to school, not unusual.
I'd guess the bully hen was not the dominant bird in the previous flock of 2.

What are your long term chicken keeping goals....do you need a cock/erel?
 
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