Bully chicken

[ejarobski]

Hi,
I have chickens that keep pecking this one chicken. I looked it up online and it mentioned that if the chickens are stress due to a loss of a flock mate (which we did loose one to a fox) then they will peck at one chicken because of the stress. Does anyone know how to stop the chickens from pecking this one chicken? Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi,
I have chickens that keep pecking this one chicken. I looked it up online and it mentioned that if the chickens are stress due to a loss of a flock mate (which we did loose one to a fox) then they will peck at one chicken because of the stress. Does anyone know how to stop the chickens from pecking this one chicken? Thank you!

How much space do you have in your coop and run?
You may need to isolate the victim for a short time in a 'look don't touch' situation to give her a break.

 

[feathermaid]

Did this chicken happen to get injured at all during the fox attack?
Does she possibly have an illness that's making her weak?
Sometimes the flock will attack a sick or injured bird in an attempt to eliminate drawing attention from predators and to keep the flock healthy and safe. Separating her is a good idea. Give her an examination and watch her behavior for several days to make sure she's healthy before letting her loose with the others again.
These articles have some helpful tips:
Chicken Bully/Chicken Victim
See But Don’t Touch

 

[Left Spur]

Some of my flock used to be very aggressive, but now they get along pretty

Did this chicken happen to get injured at all during the fox attack?
Does she possibly have an illness that's making her weak?
Sometimes the flock will attack a sick or injured bird in an attempt to eliminate drawing attention from predators and to keep the flock healthy and safe. Separating her is a good idea. Give her an examination and watch her behavior for several days to make sure she's healthy before letting her loose with the others again.
These articles have some helpful tips:
Chicken Bully/Chicken Victim
See But Don’t Touch

View attachment 1951377

Chicken live is tough, i wonder if they can get suicidal.

 

[ejarobski]

Yes so the area they are in is very big so I can isolate her, how long do you think I should for? No I thought she was sick but she’s eating, walking around and acting normal and there are no signs of injury from the Fox.

 

[Acre4Me]

Yes so the area they are in is very big so I can isolate her, how long do you think I should for? No I thought she was sick but she’s eating, walking around and acting normal and there are no signs of injury from the Fox.

If she seems fine, I would hesitate to remove her. But check in her often. Once removed, you might have Reintegration issues to deal with.

big space -great! Do you have visual interruptions and ways for chickens to get out of the line of sight? Do you have more than one feed and water station? Provide “hiding spaces” such as a pallet leaned up against a wall, or a perch. Always with two ways out, never a closed space where a bird can get trapped by a bully.

 

[ejarobski]

Yes so I have a lot of different bars for them to hang out on. She typically goes inside the coop where they lay their eggs and hang out on the bar up there. But the minute she comes down they start to peck her. Even when I let them out and free range, if she goes by the rest of them they’ll peck her. I just feel so bad. But maybe what I’ll do is put a small feeder inside the cooper where she is, might help her?

 

[Acre4Me]

Yes so I have a lot of different bars for them to hang out on. She typically goes inside the coop where they lay their eggs and hang out on the bar up there. But the minute she comes down they start to peck her. Even when I let them out and free range, if she goes by the rest of them they’ll peck her. I just feel so bad. But maybe what I’ll do is put a small feeder inside the cooper where she is, might help her?

Yes, this could work. How old are the chickens? How many? Is this bullied chicken the only one of her breed? What breed is she? What are the breeds of the other chickens? Glad you have roosts in the run! Anyway to provide a second popdoor to the coop on a different wall so they can’t monitor her so closely?

we had three of one breed pullets (not yet laying). The cockerel hated them! They stayed in coop or darted around the run. It was hard for them to eat (we had 2 feed stations). We ended up getting rid of them, and that cockerel, but some of the problems may have stemmed from the fact they had not reached POL - They took a loooong time to get to POL. Once the first of the three reached POL, she started to mesh with the flock better.

 

[ejarobski]

I forget the breed but they are all the same and we got them all together! They are around 1-2 years old I’d say.and I have 7 of them!