Adult hen constantly terrorizing new chicks

[beccamae421]

I have two adult girls left in my flock. My favorite 8 year old Buff Orpington is not well, but I'm going to spend one last weekend with her before the inevitable needs to be done. The remaining one, a 6 year old Rhode Island Red, spends her entire day absolutely terrorizing our 5 new 10 week old hens. I introduced them very slowly (separate pens at a distance eventually moving close together which is how they were for almost 2 weeks). She runs around chasing them and picking feathers constantly, not giving them a moment of peace. I've had her separated from the flock for over a week now. I just tried reintroducing her, but she immediately started attacking them. I definitely don't profess to be an expert chicken person, but I've kept chickens for 8 years now and I don't recall having a hen that's quite as obsessed as she is. Is this just her personality? Are there any suggestions to help smooth this transition? I do have the option of giving her to a local farm where she will be with other adult chickens. Once Mama chicken is gone, this RIR will be the last of my old ladies . She may be happier that way. Is that my best option?

 

[BirdGirl2004]

Well, I think that this is one of your best options only because you said you've already introduced them with separate pens for awhile. You'd think that she would stop terrorizing them, even after the first week! I think that you should give her to another farm where she cannot hurt other chickens! It stinks that you would have to give her away, considering that you've had her for 6 years old!

Another option is to use a small chicken tractor to make sure that she can see them, and maybe you could keep them in it till they are about the same size as her so that she cannot bully them! ( this is what I personally would do ) Making sure that they are being moved to fresh ground every day to be able to have, clover, bugs, grass)

You can make something simple like this: ( a little larger for your 5 week hens )

Or something a little bit more extravagant because you keeping them in there for awhile:

'

Hope that this helps! Good luck!

 

[aart]

I definitely don't profess to be an expert chicken person, but I've kept chickens for 8 years now and I don't recall having a hen that's quite as obsessed as she is. Is this just her personality? Are there any suggestions to help smooth this transition? I do have the option of giving her to a local farm where she will be with other adult chickens. Once Mama chicken is gone, this RIR will be the last of my old ladies . She may be happier that way. Is that my best option?

How long have you had the nasty RIR and has she always been nasty?
If you have the option of placing her in a new home, I would jump on that pretty quick.

 

[SweetTea&Chicks]

A rooster could help with the problem. He could put the RIR in her place but they might be allowed where you live or you simply don't want one. If not, I would personally get a chicken tractor or even a cheap small prefab coop to keep the RIR in to let her get used to them.

 

[Pork Pie]

To me, the most appropriate course of action would be to remove your adult bird.

 

[Bonnie-Jean]

I have a similar situation. In short I have a broody hen who's eggs didn't hatch. I got 7chicks and switched them out. She adopted them with no problems. The chick's are now 4 weeks old and the hen is insistent on terrorizing this one chick. when I removed this chick to make sure she was ok, the hen went after the other chick's. I am not new to chickens but I am new at owning a flock. Gerty the hen came to me with 26 eggs. This is not her first time raising young. She was a free range chicken before, now she

has a coop and a run

 

[aart]

She adopted them with no problems. The chick's are now 4 weeks old and the hen is insistent on terrorizing this one chick. when I removed this chick to make sure she was ok, the hen went after the other chick's.

She's probably weaning them.

 

[Bonnie-Jean]

She's probably weaning them.

I thought this may be the case but wasn't sure. Thank you.