Agressive Chickens

[NCMayberry]

I have about 11 Red Sex Link hens and 2 White leg horns. The Red Sex Lines bully the White leg horns when ever they try to Eat, Drink or enter the coop. This has made the White Leg Horns very hard to handle as they are scared of everything. Just a FYI there is No Roosters in the Coop and they all were hatched and raised together

 

[lilmillefleur]

Is it really bad aggression or just little pecks?
The leghorns sound a bit outnumbered at 11:2...
Maybe you have one or two bullies that just need to be removed from the flock. Find out who they are and either cull them or take them out sight for a week or two, then reintroduce them back into the flock.

 

[dmanhefner]

Leghorns by nature are flighty.

 

[NCMayberry]

I do have the Lumber/Wire to build a second coop. I think I may do this and add a few more White Leg Horns in the spring. Will I have a big issue adding White Leg Horns i hatch with these 2 later on?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How big is your coop and run? It's generally recommended to have multiple watering and feeding stations to avoid the situation you have.

 

[BYC910]

I have had black sex links like that. Got rid of them . Every time you take away chickens and then reintroduce them you run the risk of aggression . It is the nature of chicken to establish a pecking order . A hen that was the dominant hen. If taken away and then brought back may then be at the bottom of the pecking order . There are those of us who feel that a wire cage is the best method of reintroduction of chickens to the flock . Positioned so the flock can encircle the cage for a few days. Small enough wire so the flock can't get to the new chicken and harm it .It's worked every time I have used this method .

 

[Folly's place]

Space is important, and multiple feeders and waterers will be needed. I gave up on having red sex links and production reds years ago, because they were so obnoxious to their flockmates! Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

You have 2 breeds that are known for aggression/don't play well with others. I'd revisit the choice of birds, and make sure you have more than the recommended minimum of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird.

 

[Patinas]

As @oldhenlikesdogs suggested, add another feeder and waterer. The two lowest hens in my flock were having the issue of being afraid to approach the feeder when other hens were eating so I added a second one and that helped a lot. I noticed the bullying dropped a lot because the higher ranking hens didn't seem to have an issue with the lower ranking hens eating out of the second feeder. It's certainly worth a try as an easy, first step attempt at a solution.

 

[chickens really]

Red Birds are known to be aggressive ..I will not keep Reds here anymore..They require more management than Docile breeds..Production layers need more protein and total balance in diet or Behavour issues arise ...