Broody Hen target of bullying

[azygous]

Culling bullies is certainly a very efficient method of stopping aggression. It's a viable and reasonable option.

However, if any of the bullies are valued layers, I have discovered a very effective way of disciplining a bully, but it requires your presence among the flock from time to time to reinforce it.

I'll describe the technique with a story about one of my worst bully hens. Edith is a BO who came to the flock about three years ago as a rescue hen after her flock were all abandoned by their owner and then all but Edith were killed by a predator. Edith was successfully integrated into the flock and she quickly developed self confidence, perhaps too much.

She began to be a bully, chasing and terrorizing a few timid older hens, mostly at roosting time. I bought two fly swatters and hung them in handy places in coop and run. When Edith would start in with her bullying, I would grab a swatter and give her a smack on the butt. That stopped the bad behavior on the spot.

After just a few days of this, all I needed to do is grab the swatter and show it to Edith to interrupt her attempts to bully. Occasionally, Edith tries to sneak into a nest box to sleep. All I need to do to get her out of the nest and back to her own coop is to stick the swatter into the pop hole. One glance at the swatter and Edith is out of the nest like a bullet out of a rifle.

I'm still amazed at how effective a simple fly swatter is in disciplining a bully chicken. Give it a try.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello GardenJen77
I'm not going to offer any advice, but I am curios.
How many hens do you have in your coop?
I take it you don't have a cock?
Are all your hens the same breed?

 

[GardenJen77]

Culling bullies is certainly a very efficient method of stopping aggression. It's a viable and reasonable option.

However, if any of the bullies are valued layers, I have discovered a very effective way of disciplining a bully, but it requires your presence among the flock from time to time to reinforce it.

I'll describe the technique with a story about one of my worst bully hens. Edith is a BO who came to the flock about three years ago as a rescue hen after her flock were all abandoned by their owner and then all but Edith were killed by a predator. Edith was successfully integrated into the flock and she quickly developed self confidence, perhaps too much.

She began to be a bully, chasing and terrorizing a few timid older hens, mostly at roosting time. I bought two fly swatters and hung them in handy places in coop and run. When Edith would start in with her bullying, I would grab a swatter and give her a smack on the butt. That stopped the bad behavior on the spot.

After just a few days of this, all I needed to do is grab the swatter and show it to Edith to interrupt her attempts to bully. Occasionally, Edith tries to sneak into a nest box to sleep. All I need to do to get her out of the nest and back to her own coop is to stick the swatter into the pop hole. One glance at the swatter and Edith is out of the nest like a bullet out of a rifle.

I'm still amazed at how effective a simple fly swatter is in disciplining a bully chicken. Give it a try.

Hmmm. I like that idea! A cheap and easy way to try and correct behavior! I like it a lot better than culling the hens. Will give that a go first.

 

[GardenJen77]

Hello GardenJen77
I'm not going to offer any advice, but I am curios.
How many hens do you have in your coop?
I take it you don't have a cock?
Are all your hens the same breed?

In my coop/run I have a total of 37 hens and one rooster. As you can see in my signature line of my posts, I have quite the variety of birds.

 

[Shadrach]

In my coop/run I have a total of 37 hens and one rooster. As you can see in my signature line of my posts, I have quite the variety of birds.

Ah yes, I didn't look at your signature. Thank you.

 

[GardenJen77]

Ah yes, I didn't look at your signature. Thank you.

Not a problem.

 

[aart]

All I need to do to get her out of the nest and back to her own coop is to stick the swatter into the pop hole. One glance at the swatter and Edith is out of the nest like a bullet out of a rifle.

 

[alexa009]

My easter egger went broody over a couple months ago and after she was out of the broody cycle she got more bossy then she was before. Probably trying to keep the pecking order established and not let anything change after being gone awhile. She really attacked my red sex link since she had gotten aggressive with her after she was broody. May I ask what breeds you have, @GardenJen77? I really have a problem integrating new chickens with delawares and australorps I've even risked mortality. The australorps are nice and quiet birds and delawares are really sociable and love human contact but are both DEMONS when it comes to bullying other chickens. Brahmas and red sexlinks aren't very friendly either. I haven't had a problem with my other breeds though, white plymouth rocks, barred plymouth rocks, buff orpingtons and marans get along great with new birds in my flock.

 

[GardenJen77]

May I ask what breeds you have, @GardenJen77?

Right now I have ISA Browns, Golden Laced Wyndottes, Brahmas, and Aurucanas. I did have Autrolorps in the beggining. When I got the new chicks (Wyndottes and Brahmas) they were raised in a totally different enclosure. After a coyote killed 5 of my 8 Austrolorps, we tried to integrate the survivors with the new flock. It didn't go well. The Wyndottes would corner and peck the Autrolorps to pieces, almost fatally. I ended rehoming them.

Then, this year I got ISA Browns. They became the bullies, well at least 3 of the 19. They look more like roosters, but are hens. They are the ones who gang up on others, and dear Mable was an easy target.

Now she is in with the ducks, and gives them a chase now and then.