Upset with one of my girls...

[labelle21]

Hello all,

Okay so I am posting a lot on here, so apologies, very new to all this.

Basically I am upset with one of my older girls and I don't know what to do. We bought her and another chicken in Dec, and then more recently introduced 2 more chickens 2 weeks ago. They are all in a new coop together now and we introduced them at night when they were more docile. There were a few 'arguments' on who was boss at the time. Amber won and she frightened the new two back into the coop for a couple of days.

Anyway, they have built up the confidence to come out more recently, but the problem still persists with Amber, she basically won't let them eat. I tried to encourage them to all eat from the same feeder at first, but this is no good. So the last couple of days I have tried to feed them separately so at least they all get food. However, Amber just chases them away from the food whether they are at the feeder she is at or the other one.

I am getting a little upset with her now, she is becoming too much of a bully and I do not know how to stop her.

Please, any help would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance
Claire x

 

[fried green eggs]

Try pulling Amber from the group for several days to a week. It will give the new girls a chance to relax and befriend the other older hen. The isolation might help Amber be more agreeable when she is reintroduced. When ever I introduce younger birds to a coop - I pull the rooster or dominate hen from the coop for a week. I add the newbies at night and lock the birds in the coop for 24 hours so, they know where to sleep and eat. I have not had any problems with new birds being accepted even when roo and dom. hen are back in the group. Hope this helps : )

 

[TheChickInn]

It's hard when they don't all get along. Just remember that there will always be a natural "pecking order" for any flock of chickens. We have a mixed flock, but have occasionally have had to keep one or two troublemakers in a separate cage by themselves, as it seems that once they learn to become a bully, they will always be a bully. As long as your other chickens are eating, drinking and not getting attacked by this rouge hen- they should be o.k. We once had an Ameraucana hen that would actually attack any chicken around her- she would chase them away from food and water and peck on other chickens to the point where there was feather loss and blood. She was a beautiful show chicken- but we ended up rehoming this one, she was creating too much stress in the coop.

 

[labelle21]

Thanks very much for your replies. It does help, I think she may have been particularly feisty the last few days for a reason. She disappeared back into the coop herself with the other original hen for a couple of hours and was keeping the new ones away from her friend. Half an hour ago I went to check on them and found that 'her friend' had just laid an egg... OUR FIRST EGG!! She was sat by her clucking away. I am hoping this awful attitude towards the others will calm down now that she feels she has helped the other chicken maybe? If not we have their old coop still so I shall take your advice and separate her in there for a few days.

Thanks again for your advice.
Claire x

PS...Woohoo our first egg!

 

[fried green eggs]

Congrats on your first egg! Hope Amber settles down for you.

 

[labelle21]

Thanks, I was very excited. No eggs today though. Amber has been slightly better today, only shoeing them off a few times. They actually managed to eat from the same feeder at one point too. I have warned her that she will be put back in the old coop for 'time out' if she doesn't behave!

Claire x