Aggressive chicken?

[New2chickz]

So recently I got more chickens

3 laying red stars I think someone called them and 4 10 week old hatchlings when I got them they were separate but I was told they were old enough to be together....

Now I have an aggressive chicken she has jumped up to bite or peck i guess the babies on a roost bar she chases them until they try to hide and then she stands over them and pecks them. And now she will meet me at the door like were about to square off and she has! I push her away and she rushes back at me.

So..any advice? The poor babies freak out now when an adult gets too close. So I took my brat out and put her in a travel pen thing I got with them. And suddenly the madness stops! The other hens only pecked once as a get out of my way kind of peck not a I'm taking you down peck lol.

So the 2 girls went to the coop and one by one I took the babies and put them on the roost still no issue let everyone sit for a while went to check on everyone and they are fine! Scooted a baby over and brought the brat in and she settled down on the roost bar and everyone seems content...mostly the babies freaked out a little but no one moved lol.

Anyway sorry for the long post but how do I break this habit? Any thoughts?

 

[sourland]

Separate the aggressive hen from the flock for a period of time - weeks or days, not hours. In reality it is early to be introducing 10 week olds to mature hens, but it appears that you have lucked out with two of them. Big chickens pick on little chickens. Chicken society can be very cruel.

 

[bobbi-j]

What are the dimensions of your coop and run? Do you have hiding places for the younger ones to get out of the line of sight of the older ones? Do you have enough room to have more than one feeder and waterer? How long is your roost bar? Do they have a chance to free range?

Depending on how much room they have, space could be part of the problem. If the mean hen is picking on them and they don't have any place to go to get away from her, she's going to keep it up because she may think they're not recognizing her place above them in the pecking order. Integration is a little easier if there is enough room for everyone to find their own place.

 

[New2chickz]

Idk the dimensions to be honest. I know there are multiple roost bars inside and outside and I have an electric door to use.

They don't have a place to hide really they have been running and sticking their necks under the wood. But even when they are up on a roost bar she has jumped to peck their feet. Not jump to be up just jump to attack them.. And when I have sat in there to stop her from getting them she comes at me! But when I catch her I can hold her just fine. And the other hens have only picked on them when she has but I swear she isn't top hen lol

 

[bobbi-j]

Idk the dimensions to be honest. I know there are multiple roost bars inside and outside and I have an electric door to use.

They don't have a place to hide really they have been running and sticking their necks under the wood. But even when they are up on a roost bar she has jumped to peck their feet. Not jump to be up just jump to attack them.. And when I have sat in there to stop her from getting them she comes at me! But when I catch her I can hold her just fine. And the other hens have only picked on them when she has but I swear she isn't top hen lol

From what I've noticed in my flock, it's usually the bottom of the pecking order hen that picks on the younger ones. If you have a tape measure, you can find out the dimensions of your coop and run. Pictures are helpful, too.

 

[New2chickz]

It has an addition to put on it unjust haven't yet it's solid and I figure before I put it all back together I want to make sure it won't need to be moved for a while

Today is better! The babies are staying on the bar and when the bigger hens are under the coop now they drop eating and drink and forage a little bit. Then they all fly back up when a big girl comes back. My aggressive chicken seems to have learned a little more manners today. She has chased them when they have gotten too close just like the other girls and has pecked them for getting too close but I haven't seen her corner them and act nasty. I was still gonna separate her today but she isn't even coming up to me like she was yesterday!

Infact watching her now I think she went in to lay and egg

 

[aart]

WooBoy you did get lucky!
Usually integration is best started with some separation.....
....and those are tight quarters for 7 birds.
Might want to put a concrete block under the low end of your roost,
it's awful steep.
Best of cLuck to you!

Here's some tips you might employ now and for future reference:
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.


This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[New2chickz]

WooBoy you did get lucky!
Usually integration is best started with some separation.....
....and those are tight quarters for 7 birds.
Might want to put a concrete block under the low end of your roost,
it's awful steep.
Best of cLuck to you!

Here's some tips you might employ now and for future reference:
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.


This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

Thank you! There is another section to my coop that is the same size that goes in front of it I just haven't put it on yet.

I will def put some stuff in there to hide in though I put a box for now in there and I have multiple feeders I can put in there I think we'll they are for the extra pen that attaches.

I was also told to hold the angry one and that will calm her to not attacking me. I did last night after I separated her it seemed to help today.

 

[lazy gardener]

You don't want anything in there that can be a dead end trap. An aggressor will chase an underdog into such a dead end, and if she has a murderous intent, the underdog has no escape. Out of sight areas, multi height areas, places for a little to scoot under where the big can't follow.