almost ready for the soup pot

[fairfieldvtchix]

Hello,

This is my first thread, so hi everyone. I am at my wits ends. I have 7 buff orphs and 6 black austr. and they were born oct. 1 '13. They are just now coming into laying, some for a few weeks, but I have one who is in isolation for the second time.
She, or mama, was bullied when she was a 6 week old chick. I separated her and she came back good as new. Only now she has caused nasty injuries to my other buffs, one with a comb half ripped off and the other the neck ripped open. The one with the neck injury healed well, but the injured comb one keeps tearing it open again. She is separated again, and will heal completely before I put her back in.
Mama had been separate for 5 days, and I reintroduced her. Within an hour, she was back at it, grabbing and ripping at all the other birds' combs. She is so vicious, and I have called a neighbor to see if she will take her.
Any advice on any other options? She is the most mature, follows me around the yard, and is so sweet to humans, I would hate to cull her. But I cannot reintroduce her. She leaves the australoupes alone, but the buffs are constantly in defense and hide mode.
Thanks ahead of time.

 

[WYNot]

Nothing wrong with a pot of fresh chicken soup. Sometimes it is just not worth the hassle to try and "fix" such behavior.

 

[bobbi-j]

It's OK to cull this chicken. To "cull" simply means to remove from the flock. So, if you're giving her to the neighbor, you're culling her. If you eat her, you're culling her. Whichever method you choose would be good. I would not keep a bully in my flock. She's causing stress to your other birds, and that can cause egg production to go down. (I don't know if it can delay laying for new pullets or not - I've not had this situation) If you give it to your neighbor, would your neighbor be adding it to her flock, or eating it? If she's going to add it, I'm sure you'd only pass it along with full disclosure on the behavior problems. Good luck!

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

It's OK to cull this chicken. To "cull" simply means to remove from the flock. So, if you're giving her to the neighbor, you're culling her. If you eat her, you're culling her. Whichever method you choose would be good. I would not keep a bully in my flock. She's causing stress to your other birds, and that can cause egg production to go down. (I don't know if it can delay laying for new pullets or not - I've not had this situation) If you give it to your neighbor, would your neighbor be adding it to her flock, or eating it? If she's going to add it, I'm sure you'd only pass it along with full disclosure on the behavior problems. Good luck!

Enthusiastic x2 on what bobbi-j said.

 

[Blooie]

It's OK to cull this chicken. To "cull" simply means to remove from the flock. So, if you're giving her to the neighbor, you're culling her. If you eat her, you're culling her. Whichever method you choose would be good. I would not keep a bully in my flock. She's causing stress to your other birds, and that can cause egg production to go down. (I don't know if it can delay laying for new pullets or not - I've not had this situation) If you give it to your neighbor, would your neighbor be adding it to her flock, or eating it? If she's going to add it, I'm sure you'd only pass it along with full disclosure on the behavior problems. Good luck!

Just my two cent's worth...if you cull her by giving her to a neighbor, and that neighbor has other chickens, then wouldn't you just be foisting the problem onto someone else? Some problems, much as we hate it, just can't be solved no matter what we try to do. Now, if your neighbor has no chickens, then I retract what I said...the first part of it, anyway.

 

[donrae]

Just my two cent's worth...if you cull her by giving her to a neighbor, and that neighbor has other chickens, then wouldn't you just be foisting the problem onto someone else? Some problems, much as we hate it, just can't be solved no matter what we try to do. Now, if your neighbor has no chickens, then I retract what I said...the first part of it, anyway.

It might, or it might not. Sometimes being a lone hen introduced into an established group will really knock a bird down a few pegs. The other hens likely will not tolerate her behavior and she'll get a taste of her own. A rooster in the mix might make some difference also, if the neighbor has one.


Other than that, I'm with bobbi-j. No need to keep a bird that's stressing everyone out.

 

[Blooie]

It might, or it might not. Sometimes being a lone hen introduced into an established group will really knock a bird down a few pegs. The other hens likely will not tolerate her behavior and she'll get a taste of her own. A rooster in the mix might make some difference also, if the neighbor has one.


Other than that, I'm with bobbi-j. No need to keep a bird that's stressing everyone out.

Good point, donrae....I missed that completely!

 

[WYNot]

In addition... As long as the person getting the troublemaker knows why they are getting her, then all is good.

 

[fairfieldvtchix]

Thank you all, the neighbor did not want her creating a problem in her flock. So, a very good friend of mine will be taking mama and has no chickens, so he will be repurposing a very large dog house to accommodate her and one of the other birds she does not pick on.
He has wanted chickens for eggs for a while, and this helps me out too! Plus I can visit her anytime.
In the meantime while said coop is in progress, she is in the basement, and I am awaiting a chicken diaper in the mail to keep her happy... Never thought I'd buy one.
Thanks again!!