Mean hen! Hurting other hens!

[Icrazyaboutu]

So, We have a total of five chickens, a young rooster and four hens. Grrrrr(yes that's her name) and Lucy are the moms of ALL of our chickens and their mate(our alpha roo) recently was attacked by vicious dogs while defending his flock and didn't pull through. Anyways, Grrrr has always been mean. She pecks when she is sitting on eggs/ chicks and is mean to all the chickens but today she crossed the line. The young roo(only one we have) was mounting Blondie and Grrr ran up and started pecking Blondie on the back of the head. Blondie now has a beak-sized hole in the back of her head but won't let us get close enough to treat it. My mom thinks the pecking order is being re-established due to the loss of our roo. My Dad thinks it is not a phase and Grrrr will continue to hurt Blondie until she dies. What should we do?
Thank you!

 

[Terri O]

I agree with Mom. Any time you change the dynamics of a flock they have to reestablish the order. Terri O

 

[feathersnuggles]

Find a way to catch Blondie and keep her separated until her wound heals. Otherwise, she may die from an infection and/or she'll get pecked again & again in the same bloody spot by everyone, not just Grrrr.

I'd catch & separate her in a warm dry spot, then wash her wound with saline solution and treat with antibiotic cream.

Good luck!

 

[bigstack]

I am new to this but yes. They have to re-establish the order.
That being said...If the hen has a hole in her head, neck, or any place else then she may be killed. Chickens are canibls. They will continue to peck blood. on any one and anything. They love red! If the hen has any red, blood, pink, flesh showing she must be put up away from the others until she is healed. or at least put some thing over it. tape or something..... Am I wrong here???? Please some one speek up.
Thank You and Good Luck!

 

[Opa]

Yes it sounds as if the flock dynamics has changed. I would pull the mean hen out for a couple of weeks and then reintroduce her. It may change the dynamic again in your favor.

 

[Icrazyaboutu]

She isn't dead, I chased all the chickens away from her but now I can't find her and the only two chickens I have seen once I got home from school was a dark hen(Not Blondie but it could be every other hen) with the roo in our neighbors yard. Do you think this will pass once the pecking order is established?

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
Yeah, Opa. I thought about that, too, after I posted above. I separated out a mean hen, once. For her, the separation lasted just a day, but it broke the "habit" she was developing.

 

[KSTRNKA]

Yes i have had a few hens that became aggressive and mean and what i did was take them to a friends house (that had chickens) and/or put the 'bad' hen in a separate cage for a few days to a week. What a difference! I call it an 'chicken attitude adjustment' It has worked great for me in the past!

 

[seminolewind]

I agree with Opa. I would pull the mean hen out for a few weeks.

 

[Icrazyaboutu]

Well, last night when Blondie(injured one) was getting in the coop both Grrr(mean hen) and Riches(roo) were picking on her. I got her out and put her in a small bunny cage(only thing we had) and we put neosporin on her wounds, gave her food and water, and well let her back out when she is healed. We will put her in the coop at night and take out the Grrr in her place(night is the only time we can catch Grrrr without being pecked

. Anyways, I felt bad for her yesterday, she stayed in our neighbor two houses down backyard all day until it started getting dark and she came home to sleep. What else can we do to help her?