Bully Hen- New Babies & Mumma

[Kel01b]

Hi all,

I have a real bully hen at the moment. She is and always has been the top chook, but now I am trying to introduce an original girl with some new babies into the floc and she keeps attacking the mum and sometimes the babies if she can get them.
I am going to put her in jail tomorrow for a few days- should she be completely separated from the flock or put her in jail next to the coop?
Thanks

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I would put her next to the flock or she could get super stressed
Poor hen with babies though
It could be that you need a rooster to put her in her place that’s what happened with me

 

[aart]

The broody almost always has to reenter the pecking order.
It can be easier if she has been in view of the flock the whole time and they are all allowed back in with flock about 1-2 weeks after hatch.
The chicks are less of a threat when tiny and the mama is in full on broody fierceness.
I use a floor nest so mama and chicks have a refuge, and a creep feed area for chicks to eat and drink in peace.

Has she been in view?

How old are the chicks?
How big is your coop and run...pics might help.
Isolating the bully might work too.

 

[Kel01b]

Thanks for the reply.
The coop is not very big but chooks are our most of the day.
I have had the mum and babies the last few nights in the big coop with the other chooks and locked up the bully is a cage next to the coop so she can still see her flock. Mum and babies are fine with other chooks. It’s just the one “top chook” when they are all out and about will go the mum and babies when she can or if they go in the coop. There is plenty of room in the day when they are all roaming for them to run away. But I’m too scared to lock them up all together at night so I’m seperating the bully at night

 

[EggWalrus]

Good thinking keeping the bully seperated. It would probably do the bully good (knock her down a step on the pecking order) to keep her seperated for about a week or two.
What @aart said about the early introduction when the broody Momma is full on fierce, that is true. I almost always let the broody Momma introduce her chicks to the rest of the tribe, and the rest of the tribe knows not to get within a foot of those babies cause Momma will rip them a new vent!
Since the new Momma probably can't whip the bully, it's best to isolate her and let everyone else live a nice normal chicken life.

Bully will have changed her tune in two weeks.