Bad Egg

[AtlanticCity]

I'm having trouble integrating my 8 "new girls" with my 5 "old girls" due to one hen who is just plain mean.

"Pickles" has always been a bit of a bully. She is a Easter Egger who sometimes will bloody the combs of the other birds (2 Barred Rocks ands 2 Buffs) that she lives with. When hand feeding the flock she will often bite the other birds or peck at them to get them away from my hand and the food I'm giving them.

While this behavior is not ideal the other grown birds can deal with it and it's not at all life threatening. This is not the case with my younger birds.

I built chicken wire divide down the middle of my coop to keep the "new girls" - who are roughly 14 weeks old - separated from the "old girls". The can see each other (and even touch if the wanted) but they can't mix. The new girls have been in the coop for 3 weeks so there has been p0lenty of time for them to get to know each other in a socially distanced way.

I included a little door in the divide that I can open to allow the two flocks to integrate. The issue that whenever I open the door connecting the twi halves of the coop Pickles will violently attack the younger birds.

Just a few moments ago she just grabbed one of the younger birds by the back off the neck and wouldn't let go to the point I had to go in there and physically remove her. She also ripped a few feathers out of the top knot of one of the young polish pullets. The other old girls (the Barred Rocks and Buffs) seem to be just fine with the new girls. I've seen some minor squabbles but they mostly just explore each other's food and even eat together from may hand.

What do I do with Pick-pick? She's a nasty, mean bird. You can see it her eyes.

 

[Yardmom]

Can you separate the mean one from the whole flock? It might set her back a notch when reintroduced.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I haven't had to deal with this yet but from what I've read this is a very difficult situation to cope with short of looking up a good recipe for chicken and dumplings.

It is said that sometimes isolating the bully away from the flock for a while will knock her down the pecking order enough to change her attitude when she is brought back. I don't have any relevant experience.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would pull her, and order pin-less peepers for her. I would not add her back until I had those on her. That should really help, and after a month or so, you can take them off. Some birds can just be very mean.

 

[FLXCHIX]

I'm having trouble integrating my 8 "new girls" with my 5 "old girls" due to one hen who is just plain mean.

"Pickles" has always been a bit of a bully. She is a Easter Egger who sometimes will bloody the combs of the other birds (2 Barred Rocks ands 2 Buffs) that she lives with. When hand feeding the flock she will often bite the other birds or peck at them to get them away from my hand and the food I'm giving them.

While this behavior is not ideal the other grown birds can deal with it and it's not at all life threatening. This is not the case with my younger birds.

I built chicken wire divide down the middle of my coop to keep the "new girls" - who are roughly 14 weeks old - separated from the "old girls". The can see each other (and even touch if the wanted) but they can't mix. The new girls have been in the coop for 3 weeks so there has been p0lenty of time for them to get to know each other in a socially distanced way.

I included a little door in the divide that I can open to allow the two flocks to integrate. The issue that whenever I open the door connecting the twi halves of the coop Pickles will violently attack the younger birds.

Just a few moments ago she just grabbed one of the younger birds by the back off the neck and wouldn't let go to the point I had to go in there and physically remove her. She also ripped a few feathers out of the top knot of one of the young polish pullets. The other old girls (the Barred Rocks and Buffs) seem to be just fine with the new girls. I've seen some minor squabbles but they mostly just explore each other's food and even eat together from may hand.

What do I do with Pick-pick? She's a nasty, mean bird. You can see it her eyes.

 

[FLXCHIX]

Oh my gosh, she does look like a big meanie!!

 

[AtlanticCity]

Can you separate the mean one from the whole flock? It might set her back a notch when reintroduced.

Yes I'm going to try this. Thank you.

I would pull her, and order pin-less peepers for her.

I've never heard of those. I'm researching them now.

Oh my gosh, she does look like a big meanie!!

Totally. I just don't want that face to be the last thing one of my little girls see!

 

[Mrs. K]

The pin less peepers can really help in a smaller flock with bullying issues. However so can hide outs.

What does your run look like? Is it an open rectangle whereas, a bird can see all of the other birds 100% of the time? If so, you need to add a LOT of clutter. It will look more crowded to you, but it will be much more comfortable for the birds. It will add space to the run, as if a bird can get on top and underneath, that doubles that area.

Add ladders, roosts out in the run, saw horses, pallets up on blocks, small pieces of ply wood, set up with a feed bowl behind, so as a bird eating at one station cannot see birds eating at another.

This allows birds to get out of sight from each other, which tends to mean out of mind.

I took pictures of my own set up - see a cluttered run for ideas. These really help make use of the vertical space in the run.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

In my flock it is pretty normal for the immature pullets to form a sub-flock and avoid the adults until they mature enough to force the way into the pecking order. With mine that tends to be about the time they start to lay. Each group is different, some mingle a lot more than others. The only thing consistent with chickens is that they are inconsistent.

My definition of a successful integration is that no one gets hurt. I don't worry about them being one big happy cuddly flock when I first integrate. That will come later when they all mature. It sounds like other than that one hen yours are doing OK.

I have had success and failures both isolating a chicken to change behaviors. I hope that works for you.

I try to solve these issues for the peace of the flock as opposed to one individual chicken. I don't have individual chickens as much as a flock with changeable parts. I have been known to permanently remove a boy or a girl if they are making life miserable for me or miserable or just downright dangerous to the other flock members. Permanent removal can mean kill, eat, sell, give away, or change housing to keep her separated from the rest.

Of course it's your decision, but in my opinion there are too many good hens out there to put up with a bad one, both for your sake and the sake of the flock.