Bullies

[montana_chicks]

We've have an older Rhode Island Red, Bantam Frizzle, California White and Wyandotte and three younger about 5 months old (Americana, 2 silkies). The RIR and BF have always been the dominate pair, putting everyone else in their place. Lately however, the RIR, CW and W have been picking on the Bantam Frizzle so bad she wont even come out of the coop. They wont let her near them, we also have two ducks that have been attacking her. I don't know why they've all turned on her.... ANY ADVICE?

The CW and RIR will just push her around, but the W will actually attack her and pull feathers.

It seems the Wyandotte may be the one causing the other hens to attack her. If I was to find a new home for the Wyandotte do you think the pecking order could possibly go back to having the RIR and the BF the top hens?

They are allowed to free range our yard all day every day.

 

[teach1rusl]

Huh...my wyandotte is a bit of a bully too...not extremely so, but she stands out compared to the others. Before rehoming her, I would try isolating her for several days (up to a week) first. Keep her in a large dog crate or something (with food and water of course). Some have had success with that lowering the bully on the pecking order scale when the bird is introduced back into the flock. If nothing else, you'll get to see if she truly is the bully, or whether others are doing it too. If it still happens (w/bully contained), you may have to rehome the poor bird being bullied rather than the bullies...

I hope it works for you...

 

[montana_chicks]

I really appreciate your advice!

I'll isolate her and let you know how it goes. I couldn’t give up the little one getting picked on… she is kind of our “baby” chicken. She and I hang out and sun bath while I enjoy my morning coffee on the weekends. She is a great little gal! The Wyandotte has caused grief ever since she was a chick… we still love her though. I am hoping I won’t have to re-home anyone. Well, lets see how it goes - I'll keep you posted.

 

[HHandbasket]

When we got our pullets, we accidentally ended up with a cuckoo maran that was supposed to be a barred rock (they had accidentally put the wrong bird in the box when I picked them up). Well, I was going to keep the cuckoo maran anyway, but she became a bully. Because the pullets are only about 2-1/2 months old, I figured they'd work it out. We still went back and bought a barred rock & were gonna keep the cuckoo maran (if we can have 4, why not 5, right?). Well, the cuckoo maran wasn't letting the barred rock or the welsummer near the feeder. If it wasn't for scratch and greens in the pen, they wouldn't have had anything to eat that first day! The maran was really mean. It was funny and cute for about 5 minutes... 6 hours later, not so much. It became about much more than establishing a pecking order, and that cuckoo maran was aggressive and relentless.

We isolated the maran for a day in a large dog crate and even built a temporary 6 x 6 pen so she could get out, stretch, flap, scratch, get to the feeder and fresh water, etc., but nonetheless, left her by herself. The next day, we reintroduced her to the flock, and she commenced within minutes to terrorizing ALL the rest of the birds, including the ameraucana (which is 2 months older and easily twice her size). I called the breeder and asked if there was any way we could bring her back because she was being mean to the rest of the flock. Because it had only been 6 days, he didn't mind at all. We took her back and traded her for a white leghorn.

The flock is peaceful now.

I worry that a bully bird can stress out the rest of the flock and inhibit or in some day adversely affect their ability to lay when the time comes, so I was lucky that I was able to take her back to the breeder.