Hi Folks - I have three little sebrights - one wee rooster and two girls - all around 7 months old. Rowan (hen) has already started laying whereas Millie hasn't. The problem is - Millie became ill and the other two started picking on her big time - she had to be separated as she became 'touch and go' and was very lethargic and ill. We've nursed her better but she's still a little quiet. We have been trying to introduce the other two individually to her at night time but they are leaping on top of her and pecking her until she either bleeds or we rescue her. Any ideas on what else to do? We don't want to have to get another two youngsters to keep her company but has anyone any Brainstorming ideas? She's going to get depressed if she's on her own, it's also unnatural for a chicken to be on her own - she may also start believing she's human.
You can to do some kind of seperation but put her to where they can see each other for a couple of weeks. Dont know what your setup is like but this will help and get them used to being back in the coop with her. Sometimes when a hen is taken out and then placed back in they tend to loose there pecking order status and what little they may of had to begin with. I have taken some problem children hens out of my flock for a bit and reintroduced them and this has help.
You could use plastic peepers to disrupt the two healthy hens aim, but the reality is that your hens are just doing what hens do naturally. Any thing that you do to convince the first two hens to act differently will in some way reduce the two healthy birds to Millie's low status, but nothing but good health will raise Millie's low status to that of her sisters. It is healthy hens instinct to remove the weak from the flock. How much room does each hen have and can Millie escape from her tormenters or are all three closely confined in one coop, pen, or run.
As long as she is ill, they will continue to pick on her, its just how chickens work. If your little flock of three were living in the wild, the sick bird would be like ringing the dinner bell for predators. Instinctively, the other flock members will drive off or kill the sick bird to protect the rest of the flock. If she were mine, I would separate her and get her healthy, then reintroduce her.
