I need help :;( aggressive hen

[tortega18]

Hi there :/ I feel so defeated I could really use some help.
I have three hens. I put all three in the chicken tunnel and one of the hens(who's on the bottom of the pecking order) got her head stuck through the tunnel and pulled off her comb halfway off her head. When I went to check on them I realized what happend and isolated her in the dog crate on the patio. We were able to stop the bleeding. The next day I tried putting her back and our most dominant hen literally tried to kill her instantly!! I was so freaked out!! I grabbed the hen and stuck her back in the crate. Then today I slowly put her back in the run and everything seemed to be going ok. But I noticed throughout the day, the other two hens were chasing her and trying to get her. I went outside to check on everyone and the poor hens comb got completely bitten off!! The other hen attacked her and managed to bite it off!! Freaking out because blood was everywhere, after awhile my boyfriend and I were able to stop the bleeding again. So we decided she's going to stay in the crate for awhile but it's just annoying every morning I have to go out there and isolate everyone so she can lay her egg in the nest. How can I calm down the dominant hen?? How can everything go back to normal ?? What do I do to re integrate the hen again and them leaving her alone?? I'm willing to try anything :: I'm thinking if things don't return to normal soon, I might get rid of the two aggressive hens and give my scared hen a bantam silkie or chick so she's not getting attacked. Please help anyone!!!

 

[varidgerunner]

Chickens are primal animals. We see someone with a bandaid or a cast and feel compassion, chickens see a meal opportunity. Calm down your dominant hen? A rooster would do that, otherwise a hen will always assume the role of dominant bird, and females are sometimes more tyrannical rulers, the other flock members have nothing to offer them.

Keep your bird separate until wounds are completely healed. Re-integrating at night is often the best way, sometimes if they gradually wake up together, they are more accepting.

 

[micah wotring]

Try putting your hen that's getting picked on in a cage or adjacent pen (Your dog crate will probably work) so that they can all see each other for a few days until they calm down.

Have they been doing this for long or is it just since she got her comb hurt?

Chickens like to peck anything red and so if 1 chicken gets hurt and starts bleeding than the others will peck on it.

I think that if you pen them up how I said they should be best friends soon.

I am in no ways an expert but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

I hope it works out soon.

Micah

 

[tortega18]

Thanks for the responses! They were perfectly fine and kinda picked on her before but nothing since her comb got hurt!! Now when I open the door she tries to run out like " get me the heck outta here!" I've had to chase her and catch her before she got loose in my suburban neighborhood. Which would've been bad since chickens aren't aloud lol
I will try to keep her in the crate and in the coop with everyone else and wen her comb is healed try putting her in at night. Thanks!

 

[aart]

Putting her in at night might, or disastrously might not, work.
Like bobbie-j sez: "chickens aren't the brightest animals on this planet, but they're not that stupid."
With very large flocks it can be great but with only 3, I'd have serious doubts.

Keep her in her crate until she's fully healed, she can lay her egg in there.
Keep crate in or near coop and run.


Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[tortega18]

Thank you!