Bully Hen

[brittany6515]

I have a roo, and 3 hens. All Wyandottes one is a mix. I recently got a polish hen last sunday.. i kept her in a dog crate inside the coop. I let her out Friday night after everyine went to bed.. the one hen got up and was bullying her.. but everyone soon went to bed.. yesterday and today the other hen has been bullying her pretty bad.. taking feathers out.. everyone else including the roo dont seem to bother her.. the new hen has been laying everyday so im not sire if the bullying bothers her or me more? I just put the bully hen in the dog crate and thinking of leaving her in there for a few days? Advice please!!

 

[bobbi-j]

Sounds like typical integration behavior. Even when kept in a "look but don't touch" situation, there can be some pecking order issues to sort out. As long as there is no blood being drawn, I'd let them sort it out. It seems that most often, the sorting out of the pecking order is harder on us to watch than it is for the chickens to deal with it. But then, they understand chicken behavior and society a lot better than we humans do...

 

[brittany6515]

Ok thabks for the advice.. since i locked the bully up she has been out and about in the run alot more.. otherwise she was pretty much staying in the coop. Even when she was sleeping somewhere the bully would peck