All Chickens bullying same hen - Suggestions?

[bgsuohio]

Interesting. I am going to follow this thread to see how it turns out. I could see putting 1 or 2 bullies in timeout but I never thought of if the entire flock bullied just one. Good Luck.

 

[Feathers n Fur]

I've been stepping in when I am home (I work full time) and "pecking" the others when they go after her. One day it felt like that's all I did for a full hour - fending off the attackers. But I was diligent and even picked a few of them up and held them as I walked to the other side of the run for a lecture before putting them back down.

She is coming out of the coop a bit more but still at my heels when I am in the run for protection. I did notice that when I gave them a treat yesterday she grabbed a piece and took off. Two of the others chased her down and to my surprise the goodie was just too good to relinquish so she drop it and fluffed up at them. The two backed off and I didn't even need to step in. Don't get me wrong a few of them still go at her but not as often and I am seeing a little confidence coming through. Time will tell. Her bald spot is still visible as I have yet to make it to TSC to get blue kote but I am keeping an eye on the situation.

 

[MiksMom]

Who is at the top of the pecking order? I'd separate that one and see if it balances out.

 

[cackleberrycam]

Who is at the top of the pecking order? I'd separate that one and see if it balances out.

x2

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I've had chickens that the rest of the flock hated and the only way to preserve peace in the flock was to remove the chicken that everybody picked on. I've separted so many chickens that now in addition to my layer flock I also have a bully flock and a picked on flock. Eventually the picked on ones will fit back into my layer flock but the bullys stay bullys forever.

 

[Cuccismith]

Thinking when you get the new chicks can she stay with them? Perhaps they will accept her and forge their own little flock, then once introduced to the other 12 she will be more invisible and perhaps "forgotten" and accepted as a new chick...
best of luck it is heartbreaking!

 

[Feathers n Fur]

There really isn't one "Queen B" so to speak. There are a few, too many to separate. I am noticing Willow (the picked on girl) coming out and putting herself in the flock more. I still see her getting pecked at here and there but not as much. She needs to assert herself. All of my girls have been together for at least a year and the picking just started a few weeks ago. Maybe she gave off a funky hormonal vibe...who knows. This is a wait and see thing. If things revert back and get worse I will have to move her and create a new flock OR I will have to remove each bully one or two at a time and see if that helps.

One of my farmer friends told me he has seen it before and there isn't much you can do about it but remove the singled out hen. Sometimes they will just reject one for reasons apparent only to them.

 

[tnspursfan09]

There really isn't one "Queen B" so to speak. There are a few, too many to separate. I am noticing Willow (the picked on girl) coming out and putting herself in the flock more. I still see her getting pecked at here and there but not as much. She needs to assert herself. All of my girls have been together for at least a year and the picking just started a few weeks ago. Maybe she gave off a funky hormonal vibe...who knows. This is a wait and see thing. If things revert back and get worse I will have to move her and create a new flock OR I will have to remove each bully one or two at a time and see if that helps.

One of my farmer friends told me he has seen it before and there isn't much you can do about it but remove the singled out hen. Sometimes they will just reject one for reasons apparent only to them.

This happened to mt little leghorn Dora when she went through her 2nd fall molt. The other girls wouldn't just peck her when she got close to them, they would actively seek her out to chase her. She went from top hen to the bottom of the pecking order. When our chicks were big enough to put in with the flock they became the low girls on the totem and Dora started working her way back up. She's not back at the top, but the others leave her alone now and she even has a friend or two.

 

[Feathers n Fur]

Update! Willow, although not the Queen Hen, has moved up a notch in the pecking order. I saw her peck at one of my Clover, one of my Marans, who pecked at her first. Willow gave it right back to her and then some. I don't ever expect her to be the be all end all hen, I just didn't want her to be picked on relentlessly by ALL the others. She found her mojo and the others are not coming at her all the time. I do see the occasional peck but not like it was before.

This was a rocky ride. Thanks for all the input. Sometime intervention is necessary, sometimes they work in out on their own and sometimes a combination is key.