Bully Chickens and 6 week old chicks

[packmomma]

Ok. I've had 7 chickens for 2 years they all grew up together..are wonderful pets. Last year I bought 5 RIR's but only 3 have made it to this point. They are over a year and they rule the roost. If one is busy picking a fight or doing whatever..another steps in. I have put my rescue hen and 6 Golden comets that are 6 weeks in with all of them. They have been there for about a week. These RIR's are basicly tormenting them whenever they feel the need. Last night Rosy was chasing them around for no reason in the coop when it was bed time. All my older chickens went to bed and so did one other RIR. Rosy and Lucky were down on the floor still and Rosy was chasing them around. I yelled at her to stop, she did for like two seconds while giving me the "stink eye" then when I turned to walk out she started again. I showed my dominance over here in front of everyone and she went off into the corner and was eating off that feeder but then Lucky started in doing the same thing. The chicks are staying out of everyone's way, these two chickens are picking on them for no apparent reason. So here is my question. I hate these RIR's and have no issue with eating them for dinner, maybe with killing them but not with eating them lol. If I cull these two bullies will the other RIR start in or do you think the older ones will start on the babies? Right now the older ones could care less. My plan was to keep these horrid RIR chickens till fall to get more eggs over the summer but eventually they are going to stew anyway. The chicks arent bleeding or anything its just "I have nothing to do so I'll pick on them cause i want to" Its so random. She will be eating outside and the chicks are in the coop away from everyone. Then she will just run to the coop and chase and peck at them. Its so annoying I might cull before any replies! I hate her!! Never thought I could hate a chicken but she has some anger issues!

 

[spiritdance]

I have a sexlink headed to freezer camp for similar reasons. I can't re-integrate broodies, introduce new chickens, etc., without her bullying them, and when she starts, others join in. Like you, I wanted the eggs through the summer, but enough is enough. She's now known as "Sunday Dinner" and has an appointment with my axe this Friday, before I have to reintegrate my next broody. The couple dozen eggs I might get from her over summer are definitely not worth the chaos she causes in the coop.

 

[Judy]

If you remove the bullies you will likely just get more bullies, because you have 6 week old chicks in with adults. This amount of age difference has only worked for me when a broody has raised the chicks in with the flock. Although I'd probably have the RIR for supper very soon anyway.

JMO.

 

[packmomma]

Well these other chickens dont bother the chicks at all. I mean they let them know that obviously they are above them on the chain of command but they dont seek out to pick on them. There is plenty of space for them all to have their own space. The year before when I had the RIR's in there at 6 weeks the older ones didnt pick on them so I thought maybe if I have dinner 1,2,3 then I would be ok. I do have my rescue hen that tries to act like a momma but she is low woman on the totem pole. I tried earlier in the year to put her in with them but the RIR's picked her till she was bleeding so I put her with my babies. Then added 7 new at once. They leave her alone for the most part because now there are others to pick on. I just dont want them around when I put in my other 6. One should be a roo and I hope he protects my silkie cause I cant even imagine putting in a silkie with my 3 RIR's!

 

[packmomma]

Just to give you another example. I let them free range the yard and the younger ones I let out front and the older ones out back. Rosy and Lucky ran to the front just to pick on the babies and chased them around. We have an acre...I kept chasing them away and eventually lucky backed off and went with the flock but rosy kept coming back and back and back. Really an acre of land and you have to be exactly where the babies are! Its like they are a gang lol.

 

[galanie]

I have one like that whose name is Soup. These are all Orpingtons. One hen, who is not the top of the pecking order, goes out of her way to bully and chase the 8 week olds. The others just ignore them, maybe give them a peck if the kids get too irritating, but one one goes out of her way to be a pain the butt. I have another with a baby that I don't like either, and as soon as she makes the baby get away and grow up, they are both out of here. Rather than eat them, I'm going to try to sell them since I can get a chicken at Kroger for $6 but laying hens sell for $12-$15. They are just hatchery stock. If they were better birds I might put up with some of that.

 

[packmomma]

Update. I decided I had enough of Rosy.

She is rather delicious.

All the other chickens seem to be getting along. Not sure if its the trauma of them watching me butcher her from afar or if she was truly the problem. I am hoping my black aust who was queen, becomes queen again. I culled with the hang upside down and slit the juggler method.

It is easy and effective and I recommend it over an ax for sure. Must more calm and I can do it alone. I opted to skin and there are videos on youtube that show you how really nicely. I used a combo of videos. I didnt really want to do it, its always sad when you once loved a chicken but I am suppose to be raising these for meat anyway and since I hated her..it was fairly easy. She still had a lot of winter fat on her so I would recommend summer culling but then you have the issue of flies.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
That is how I plan to do it, exactly as you did. Slit the jugular, and skin them. Glad to hear that it wasn't so bad. Lots of people are selling laying hens around here so I might not be able to sell Soup and her friend and so end up processing them anyway.