Help! Reintegration of bully gone wrong - what to do next??

Brienna said:

Thanks for your advice I am thinking that maybe I should do this, let them see eachother but keep them separated for a week or so, as if I am adding a new hen. Maybe things will go more smoothly. My hens are super sweet usually, the fighting has really thrown me off and left me clueless ... I will probably try your method. Thanks again!

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No problem. If you do follow through with the fence method i would love to hear how things end up going.

I did the isolate the bully method last year - it actually worked! She went into a molt and when she was returned, the next generation had matured enough to keep her on the lower rungs. However.... it's spring and I'm starting to see increased feather picking again.... sigh... not sure who is culprit. Not happy because will adding more to the flock when these new chicks are older. Trying to assess the problem now. I guess Step 1) tossing in a cabbage to their run and bought a Flock Block - figuring they need to keep their beaks busy, lol; Step 2) Chicken Jail; and Step 3) ultimately I will re-home or re-purpose an unreformable hen for the good of the flock. Good luck!

TheEggCollecter said:

No problem. If you do follow through with the fence method i would love to hear how things end up going.

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After a week of the fence method, we put her back with the others during the night. The next morning, we were up early to watch the girls. At first, they didn't seem to mind each other, but they started an intense fight again, which we had to stop or else there would have been blood. They are now separated again. The feather-picking hen has been isolated for a while now and I'm starting to feel really bad for her. She keeps pacing in her pen as if she wants to get out with the girls. I really want to re-integrate her with her flock but I'm so afraid that they'll fight again and severely hurt each other

Should I do the fence method a little longer? Do you think pinless peepers could discourage the fighting?

Brienna said:

After a week of the fence method, we put her back with the others during the night. The next morning, we were up early to watch the girls. At first, they didn't seem to mind each other, but they started an intense fight again, which we had to stop or else there would have been blood. They are now separated again. The feather-picking hen has been isolated for a while now and I'm starting to feel really bad for her. She keeps pacing in her pen as if she wants to get out with the girls. I really want to re-integrate her with her flock but I'm so afraid that they'll fight again and severely hurt each other

Should I do the fence method a little longer? Do you think pinless peepers could discourage the fighting?

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I know it has been a couple of months, but what did you end up doing? TIA

So far so good - I think. I have a Brown Leghorn (Popi) that looks like crap - and I am hoping it's a big ugly molt... (time would be about right). But it also could be Popi is the lowest in the pecking order and is getting demolished... sigh. I have been watching the flock as much as I can - to make sure the "babies" that I integrated weren't getting beat up. The pullets get pursued, pecked away from good food, good sunny spots, good dust bathing, etc. But nothing I would call "intense fighting".

And would you believe the former prisoner Regina (the evil queen) - has begun Crowing! I call her my Henster, lol.

At this point - only Popi looks especially beat up - but I don't see her being beat up.

May I ask is it just the one Hen that is doing all the fighting? Is it the two at the top of the chain of command that are battling for top spot? Who is Top Hen when bully is behind bars? I think you(we)'ve got two not very nice options.. let the fight for top gun go and hope it gets settled without a death. Or rehome bully.

Please let me know - wishing you good luck!

Update - Popi's feathers are coming back in - was an ugly molt - yeah!

Brienna said:

After a week of the fence method, we put her back with the others during the night. The next morning, we were up early to watch the girls. At first, they didn't seem to mind each other, but they started an intense fight again, which we had to stop or else there would have been blood. They are now separated again. The feather-picking hen has been isolated for a while now and I'm starting to feel really bad for her. She keeps pacing in her pen as if she wants to get out with the girls. I really want to re-integrate her with her flock but I'm so afraid that they'll fight again and severely hurt each other

Should I do the fence method a little longer? Do you think pinless peepers could discourage the fighting?

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How big is your coop and your run. You might think it's plenty big, but chickens have their own ideas of what constitutes enough space.

lynnehd said:

I know it has been a couple of months, but what did you end up doing? TIA

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After the intense fighting, we separated her for a few more days, and once the weekend rolled in, my boyfriend spent the entire weekend in the run with them! he watched them carefully and semi-intervened when needed, but the fighting was really nothing compared to the first time. They finally accepted her again but unfortunately after a few days, the feather picking started again...so she now lives separately and gets to free range with the other girls about an hour a day under supervision.

I really don't think they are lacking space, as we have a 8 x 11 run and 3 x 8 coop for 4 hens.

Anyways, the situation is not ideal now as she is separated and can't be with the other without supervision but we would hate to give her away.. we are really attached to her, she is actually very sweet apart from her bad feather picking habit.

Could it be that she's just not getting enough protein? Switching to a higher protein feed might do the trick.

How much protein is in their feed? What brand do you use? What size is their housing?

Pinless peepers will help keep them from picking. I speak from experience.