2yr old hens suddenly fighting??

[KikiDeAnime]

Both our 2 year old Black sex link hens have suddenly started to fight every day. This is the very first time they've ever done this. They've always gotten a long with each other and even have gotten upset if the other was brought inside the house for injuries, droopiness, etc.. One tried to sneak in the house once when that has happened.

One of them has no tail and mostly no neck feathers because of the fighting.

What has caused this sudden change in behavior??
What can I do to solve this??

 

[azygous]

-Can you identify the aggressor?
-Do they fight with talons and beaks?
-How long has this been going on?
-Was the victim removed and returned just prior to this conflict starting?
-Do you know which hen was dominant prior to this conflict?
-Do you have other chickens in addition to these two?

-Have there been any changes to their environment lately?
-How much space do they have?
-Any new dogs added to the picture that may be stressing the chickens? -Rowdy kids chasing the chickens?

I know these are a lot of questions, but information is the only way I can help you figure this out.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

-Can you identify the aggressor?
-Do they fight with talons and beaks?
-How long has this been going on?
-Was the victim removed and returned just prior to this conflict starting?
-Do you know which hen was dominant prior to this conflict?
-Do you have other chickens in addition to these two?

-Have there been any changes to their environment lately?
-How much space do they have?
-Any new dogs added to the picture that may be stressing the chickens? -Rowdy kids chasing the chickens?

I know these are a lot of questions, but information is the only way I can help you figure this out since I'm not clairvoyant.

Both start the fights for no reason. It's been going on for 3 days. Nothing has changed. Yes, other birds live with them. Both are the top hens of the flock, even above the Cockerel. They free range for half the day under my supervision.

 

[azygous]

How about when one was sick and kept away from the flock? Was that when this conflict began - when the hen was returned?

Was the hen that was removed and returned the victim or the aggressor in this conflict?

 

[azygous]

One more thing I thought of - Is the hen with most of her tail and neck feathers gone the same hen that was removed from the flock or was it the other hen? (It could help to name these two hens for the purposes of this discussion.)

 

[KikiDeAnime]

How about when one was sick and kept away from the flock? Was that when this conflict began - when the hen was returned?

Was the hen that was removed and returned the victim or the aggressor in this conflict?

None have been removed for a year as they're healthy and haven't had problems.

 

[azygous]

How violent and how often are these fights? How long do they last? If you are breaking the fight up, that can prolong the resolution of the conflict. But you don't want one to be getting constantly beat down by the other. There is a remedy for that if this is the case.

If these fights are infrequent and of short duration, just leave them alone to work it out. If you have a rooster, he is probably keeping an eye on these two and he won't let things get out of hand. Eventually, the hens will agree to a truce.

If these hens are having their first molt, which they're at the right age for, that can account for the feather loss as well as the bad tempers. Look for a uniform patch of pin feathers, like a hedge hog, where the feathers are missing. That's confirmation of molt.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

How violent and how often are these fights? How long do they last? If you are breaking the fight up, that can prolong the resolution of the conflict. But you don't want one to be getting constantly beat down by the other. There is a remedy for that if this is the case.

If these fights are infrequent and of short duration, just leave them alone to work it out. If you have a rooster, he is probably keeping an eye on these two and he won't let things get out of hand. Eventually, the hens will agree to a truce.

If these hens are having their first molt, which they're at the right age for, that can account for the feather loss as well as the bad tempers. Look for a uniform patch of pin feathers, like a hedge hog, where the feathers are missing. That's confirmation of molt.

They actually already molted. And the Cockerel is a wimp as he only learned to warn the others of danger. The fights happen everyday and last for about 8-9 minutes.