"Bully" hen - Could really use some advice...

[lilwhitechick]

you might want to get a box or something for the injured one until recovered. i know this seems mean but it works, every time the "bully" is mean, give her a light tap on the beak so she knows to stop. if it continues, take it to a specialist.

 

[Johnn]

Its not guaranteed that separating her will fix the problem. One of my bully girls got ill so she had to come live with me for a couple of weeks. When she got back all the girls forgot her but she remembered them. There was lots of scraps but she regained her place within an hour.

 

[ScottyChic]

We had a similar bully and my Husband put her into a compound on her own (this was next to her original one).

All that happened here was that another hen jumped into her shoes and started taking over as the 'new bully'.

As someone who is very fond of my animals, I found this quite upsetting behaviour.

This is why there is a 'Pecking Order'.

You don't sound as though you have the option of separating her away from the others - if I was in your shoes then I would just pen a little corner of your garage and keep her in there.

Until such days when they can all be put outside.

 

[ScottyChic]

Yes - a specialist by the name of 'Neck Wringer'

 

[Johnn]

I should send my new girl to you! She came into the flock at beat everyone up. A hen eventually came in and kicked the bullies off their high horse and now they have calmed down a bit!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

First put the "injured" one back she is not injured her feathers will grow back

Second take the mean hen out and keep her out for 1-2 weeks so the pecking order will reset and she will be at bottom

Im going to put her back in with the flock when she scabs over. If I were to leave her in with the others before, the risk would have been that the other girls would start picking at the bloody spots on her back, and it would have caused even more problems.

I have the mean hen seperated already. Today will be day three that she has been out of the flock.

@ScottyChic I worried about that happening... Another hen stepping into her shoes. I'll have to see how she behaves in a week or two when I put her back into the flock. If the behavior continues I'll keep her seperated until their coop is built.

I'll be building a chicken tractor, and I plan on moving it around the yard often, so that they won't get bored nearly as easily as they would in a permanent structure coop. Hopefully that will help with the bullying.

Thanks for all of the advice and pointers everyone!

-Ashley

 

[ScottyChic]

Forgive me for being so naïve - but what is a 'chicken tractor'?

I have never heard of such a thing.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Forgive me for being so naïve - but what is a 'chicken tractor'?

I have never heard of such a thing.

A chicken tractor is a moveable coop with an open bottomed run. It is designed so that you can move it regularly to give your chickens fresh grass and bugs.

Here is a link to give you an example,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-menagerie

 

[McCoysOrps]

Im going to put her back in with the flock when she scabs over. If I were to leave her in with the others before, the risk would have been that the other girls would start picking at the bloody spots on her back, and it would have caused even more problems.

I have the mean hen seperated already. Today will be day three that she has been out of the flock.

@ScottyChic I worried about that happening... Another hen stepping into her shoes. I'll have to see how she behaves in a week or two when I put her back into the flock. If the behavior continues I'll keep her seperated until their coop is built.

I'll be building a chicken tractor, and I plan on moving it around the yard often, so that they won't get bored nearly as easily as they would in a permanent structure coop. Hopefully that will help with the bullying.

Thanks for all of the advice and pointers everyone!

-Ashley

Sounds like you got a plan there and it a good one

 

[ScottyChic]

Thank you MsChickenMomma for that - you learn something new every day.