bully hen - chicks afraid to sleep in the coop

[cityeggs]

I have 3 hens and 4 x 2 month old chicks (1 cockerel, 3 pullets). One hen, who at least used to be the bottom of the pecking order but seems to have moved up in the world, chases the chicks and they are terrified of her. I haven't seen her cause serious injury - they've all been bitten/scratched on their beak/lower comb, as far as I can tell, and I've seen her pull feathers when she has been able to catch them. They mostly coexist at this point (they were in the coop in look-don't-touch by 2 weeks, then with escape hatches for a few weeks, then I took away the brooder entirely). There's plenty of clutter in the outdoor space that she mostly forgets that they're there. In the secure run and coop, there's some clutter, but it's small, so there's not much I can do - I just try to have the door open to the fenced area open as long as there's light outside.

The chicks did sleep in the coop for a while (which was good bc it was cold then!), but lately they've taken to roosting in the secure run. I've been hesitant to force them into the coop bc I don't want to set them up to be attacked, and I'm in CA and the weather has been warm lately and above 50 at night. I put in a perch in the run, and they seem to be ok for the moment BUT it's supposed to be colder (40's at night) and rainy next week and the secure run is not that protected ( I have a tarp wrapped around part of it, but it's still open on one side and the tarp isn't tight).

What do you recommend? I tried putting pinless peepers on my bully but all I ended up doing was scratching her beak and I was afraid of injuring her.

Should I try putting her in broody jail in the coop at night while it's cold? Thankfully I have two, since one of the other hens has been hit with torticollis - life would be easier if it had been my bully who got it (not that I would wish that on anyone).

Any other suggestions?

 

[aart]

One hen, who at least used to be the bottom of the pecking order but seems to have moved up in the world, chases the chicks and they are terrified of her.

It's typical of the lowest older bird to be the most aggressive towards newer birds.
Yes, it 'might be a good idea to isolate the bully.
How long have the new birds been in with the older ones?
How big, in feet by feet, is y our coop and run?
Dimensions, and especially pics, would help immensely here.

 

[cityeggs]

It's typical of the lowest older bird to be the most aggressive towards newer birds.
Yes, it 'might be a good idea to isolate the bully.
How long have the new birds been in with the older ones?
How big, in feet by feet, is y our coop and run?
Dimensions, and especially pics, would help immensely here.

Chicks have been in the coop for at least 2 months; the first two weeks, it was with the brooder door closed. I think it's been at least 1 month since I took the brooder out completely. For a while they wouldn't leave the coop, but now they do, especially when the hens are in the nesting box. I wish I had 2 doors bc I think sometimes they get stuck in or out when the hens are too close to the door for comfort.

I have old pictures, but not since I moved things around and added a second roosting bar (upper and lower). I will try to get new photos this afternoon. Coop is a raised coop and is approx 4'X5'x 4'H, with outboard nesting boxes accessed from the coop. Lower level enclosed/secure run is 5' x 10' I believe. Outdoor space is probably 15' x15' (and soon to be bigger).

I have 2 waterers out and multiple food containers (one of each in the run and in the outside space) that are a pain to keep stocked bc they're small, so I think I just need to get another larger feeder.

The vast majority of the time, they can keep enough space that everyone is ok. Would you recommend isolating her at night only, since that's the main time of conflict? Or should I try to separate her during the day as well?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Unless there is a lot of blood I would not do anything. Just give the littles lots of places to get out of the way, just don't set it up where they can get cornered.

You have me thinking about two doors... I am integrating in two coops right now and the way one is set up I worry the littles will get left outside in secure run as well..