Many here are familiar with my article on chicken bullying and how to fix it. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/ In short, I treat the bullying victim instead of the bully. However, in the article I miss something crucial, and that is why I don't segregate the bully.
Recently, I used this system to treat a bullying victim in my own flock. Possum, an EE, is around five or six. She's never been especially self confident, so when the flock matriarch Louise, a nine-year old EE, decided she needed to totally stomp Possum, Possum went into total meltdown/shutdown. I saw the bullying, but decided to give it a few days to see if things would work themselves out. But I decided to do something when I found Louise pinning Possum down and pecking her senseless, many of the flock joining in.
Possum was in terminal victim mode, not eating, not wanting to roost, and behaving like a total door mat. I have a special fenced section in the run for bully victims. Possum resided in this protected space during the day for the next three weeks. It took every bit of this time to rehabilitate her, getting her over her fear and insecurities. But in the end, she miraculously regained her self confidence and lost her fear of Louise. She now confidently roosts right next to Louise on many nights.
During the first couple weeks of Possum's confinement, I took Louise out of the general population because I got tired of seeing Possum freaking out whenever Louise came up to the enclosure and intimidated her. So Louise spent her days in another run with the rooster. Around the end of the second week of Louise's absence, I was seeing fights among the other hens. It dawned on me that in the absence of Louise's enforcement of peace and order, the flock dynamics were in flux. I brought Louise back into the main flock.
Coincidentally, this probably helped Possum, as well. It's possible she finally got it through her tiny brain that Louise wasn't going to kill her. My flock quickly got back to normal, and peace has reigned since. Moral of this tale is that bullies often play an important role in the flock. It's best not to mess with it.
Recently, I used this system to treat a bullying victim in my own flock. Possum, an EE, is around five or six. She's never been especially self confident, so when the flock matriarch Louise, a nine-year old EE, decided she needed to totally stomp Possum, Possum went into total meltdown/shutdown. I saw the bullying, but decided to give it a few days to see if things would work themselves out. But I decided to do something when I found Louise pinning Possum down and pecking her senseless, many of the flock joining in.
Possum was in terminal victim mode, not eating, not wanting to roost, and behaving like a total door mat. I have a special fenced section in the run for bully victims. Possum resided in this protected space during the day for the next three weeks. It took every bit of this time to rehabilitate her, getting her over her fear and insecurities. But in the end, she miraculously regained her self confidence and lost her fear of Louise. She now confidently roosts right next to Louise on many nights.
During the first couple weeks of Possum's confinement, I took Louise out of the general population because I got tired of seeing Possum freaking out whenever Louise came up to the enclosure and intimidated her. So Louise spent her days in another run with the rooster. Around the end of the second week of Louise's absence, I was seeing fights among the other hens. It dawned on me that in the absence of Louise's enforcement of peace and order, the flock dynamics were in flux. I brought Louise back into the main flock.
Coincidentally, this probably helped Possum, as well. It's possible she finally got it through her tiny brain that Louise wasn't going to kill her. My flock quickly got back to normal, and peace has reigned since. Moral of this tale is that bullies often play an important role in the flock. It's best not to mess with it.
I am not nearly this observant of flock dynamics so I appreciate you sharing yours.
