Bulling

[Ayers36]

My 6 hens (no roosters) are almost a year they have had a pecking order and everyone has gotten along great until now I have my silver laced wyandotte picking on my black australorp causing bald spots wyandotte won't let her eat
Egg production has not slowed, coop is 4' x 6' run is 4' x 17' they have all get dewormed every 3 months any ideas to make it stop

 

[coach723]

There are several possibilities for cause. Add another feeder/waterer or two so she has better access. Makes it harder for them to keep her away. Boredom and overcrowding can cause it. When you look at the 'math' for adequate space that is just a guideline and it's really determined by how the chickens themselves behave. What may work for one group of 6 may be too small for another group of 6, it's all based on their particular personalities. Enlarging your run may help. You can search for boredom busters for chickens for some ideas of ways to keep them busy with other things. Check the one who is being bullied to make sure there are no health problems going on. A sick/weak chicken will attract attacks from flock mates. They hide illness well so it may not be obvious to you without looking for it, but the other chickens will know. If your wyandotte is just a bully and nothing else works you can try separating her for a week or two and reintroducing, to reset the pecking order. Sometimes that will work, sometimes not. There are things called pinless peepers that you can put on the bully to make it harder for her to pick at other chickens (I've never used them personally). The bald spots may remain until she molts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My 6 hens (no roosters) are almost a year they have had a pecking order and everyone has gotten along great until now I have my silver laced wyandotte picking on my black australorp causing bald spots wyandotte won't let her eat
Egg production has not slowed, coop is 4' x 6' run is 4' x 17' they have all get dewormed every 3 months any ideas to make it stop

If you have photos you would like to share of your coop/run and the feather loss that may be helpful.
What do you feed your girls?

Picking at one another can be from lack of space, boredom and sometimes nutritional deficiencies.
Have you observed the BA to see if she indicates that she is sick?

Adding more space may be one of the most helpful things you can do. If she is being kept from food - add another feed station.
I'm not a fan of separating hens unless you have to - I like to let them work things out, but if after you make some changes to your set-up and take time to observe behavior, then separation of the SLW may be in order - cage her away from the flock for at least a week, then re-introduce her. See if that makes a difference.

A reduction in egg production is likely caused by stress. Check everyone for lice/mites while you are at it. Is the SLW still laying eggs?

 

[LisPrissy]

My 6 hens (no roosters) are almost a year they have had a pecking order and everyone has gotten along great until now I have my silver laced wyandotte picking on my black australorp causing bald spots wyandotte won't let her eat
Egg production has not slowed, coop is 4' x 6' run is 4' x 17' they have all get dewormed every 3 months any ideas to make it stop

I’ve had a similar problem thane past couple days. My girl looks bad her comb and wattles are even gone. It’s been suggested by others to remove her. They have always gotten along and curious why , unless of illness, this has started.
Good Luck with yours and you may to remove her as well.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Photos of the setup would help.
It probably won't help to remove the one being bullied. However, if you take the bully out and put her in her own pen for a little while, then reintroduce her, it may 'reset' her role as the bully.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’ve had a similar problem thane past couple days. My girl looks bad her comb and wattles are even gone. It’s been suggested by others to remove her. They have always gotten along and curious why , unless of illness, this has started.
Good Luck with yours and you may to remove her as well.

Sounds like your girl has had a full on attack - I see you have a thread started, I absolutely agree with the suggestions you have been given - remove her immediately and start offering supportive care. Totally different that a few feathers missing. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-feathers-on-head-gone.1302866/#post-21226408

 

[Ayers36]

The picture is the setup 4 of them are laying right now but there's the setup the run is 6' x 17' not 4x 17 like i posted earlier

 

[coach723]

I still think you should consider expanding the run if at all possible. With chickens the more space the better, it really does prevent a lot of bullying and picking issues. Every set of birds is different. What is a large area for some will be too small for others. One bird with a very dominant personality can make a space very, very small. Adding roosts they can get up on and places they can hide behind (without being cornered- should always be at least two ways out) may help also. Another option, which sometimes happens, is to rehome the bully.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with others that you may want to add extra feeder and waterer on the other side of the run. If they could get outside to roam a bit each day, that would help as well. You can spend some time with them to watch the flock dynamics, and consider removing the bully for a week to lower her standing. I had mostly docile breeds, and I decided to rehome my wyandottes because they were bullies. Every flock is different, but the more room and things to occupy their time, the better.

 

[Ayers36]

I will add extra water and food bowl they free range for about an hour a day i know that's probably not enough and if that doesn't work then I'll remove the bully for 2-3 days but I am collecting materials to add on to run thank you everyone for the help