Bully Hen

[mrsruzek]

Hi all! I am relatively new to this site and am so excited to be raising backyard chickens! We just got our first flock a couple of weeks ago: 2 easter eggers, 1 cinnamon queen, and 1 rhode island red. The EEs and the cinnamon queen get along great. However, the RIR was pecking at one of my EEs so badly that there was lots of blood drawn. I removed the RIR from the flock and reintroduced her after 2 days, thinking that would fix things. However, she went right in and started pecking at the same EE like crazy. I eventually took her back and returned her for a different RIR...but now the new RIR has been doing the same exact thing, even worse! I have her separated from the flock currently. The flock seems so much more peaceful when she's not in there. Are RIRs typically an aggressive breed? I know the pecking order thing is normal, but I do think that when the RIR is in there, the flock is stressed. What's the best course of action to take? Is there any way they'll get a long? Am I intervening too much, and will they eventually figure it out?

 

[Percheron chick]

RIR can be aggressive in a mixed flock. Take her back and get a different breed. They might work things out or it can continue and escalate.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

Yes, RIR can be aggressive from all I've read, I've never had any in my flock so don't speak form personal experience.
But any bird can be excessively aggressive....and the pecking order can seem especially ugly if you're not used to it.
Learning about their 'normal' behaviors takes time and observation.
It's about territory and resources(space/food/water).

I'd second the advice to trade the RIR in for a different breed.

 

[Fisher Farms]

I have a flock of Rhode Island Reds and have seen this also. The same thing with my Golden Comets from other years.