Bully only picking on 2 chickens

[77573]

We have 6 chickens in an enclosure that is 6x11 and plus their coop is 6x3. They have plenty of room plus we let them out for 3 hours a day. They are all the same age and our Legbar is sweet to all except the Easter Egger and Sussex. She will pick on them. We have put her in Chicken Jail by putting her in a dog kennel inside the run for a week We have put the chicken blinder on and squirted her with a water gun. Nothing changes. It’s only these two. We have a Silver laced Wyandotte who is the Queen, a Polish middle in the order and a Brown Cochin the lowest. She won’t bother any of them. Any suggestions? I added a photo of the coop and run They have a dirt bath and plenty of places to hide For now we are just keeping the Legbar separated

 

[rosemarythyme]

Unfortunately you're pretty much at the minimum suggested space for the size of flock - the problem bird may not handle confinement as well as the rest of the flock. 3 hours of free range doesn't make up for the rest of the time they aren't free ranging.

Since I can't see from the photo, is there any clutter or anything inside the run for entertainment, to break up space, etc?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile we can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

Unfortunately you're pretty much at the minimum suggested space for the size of flock - the problem bird may not handle confinement as well as the rest of the flock. 3 hours of free range doesn't make up for the rest of the time they aren't free ranging.

I'm afraid that coop is quite small -- 6 birds should have at least 24 square feet but you've only got 18 square feet. The run is right around minimum, and while space in the run *can* compensate for lack of space in the coop in a favorable climate where the birds have access to that space for every moment they're awake between dawn and dusk, some birds don't read the guidelines and want more wing room.

For example, I once had 5 birds in 16 square feet when they should have had 20 square feet, but I had 625 square feet of run and never kept them closed in the coop during any daylight hours. I was also prepared to sell a bird if any behavioral problems cropped up.

What form does the bullying take?

Also, how old are these birds?

 

[77573]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile we can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.





I'm afraid that coop is quite small -- 6 birds should have at least 24 square feet but you've only got 18 square feet. The run is right around minimum, and while space in the run *can* compensate for lack of space in the coop in a favorable climate where the birds have access to that space for every moment they're awake between dawn and dusk, some birds don't read the guidelines and want more wing room.

For example, I once had 5 birds in 16 square feet when they should have had 20 square feet, but I had 625 square feet of run and never kept them closed in the coop during any daylight hours. I was also prepared to sell a bird if any behavioral problems cropped up.

What form does the bullying take?

Also, how old are these birds?

6 ft x 11 ft is 66 sq ft plus for their pen and 6ft x 4 ft is 24 SQ ft a total of 90 square ft. They are always outside except sleeping in their coop. They are 8 months and the Legbar only attacks the 2 by biting their head

 

[3KillerBs]

6 ft x 11 ft is 66 sq ft plus for their pen and 6ft x 4 ft is 24 SQ ft a total of 90 square ft. They are always outside except sleeping in their coop. They are 8 months and the Legbar only attacks the 2 by biting their head

There must be a typo in your first post because it says 6x3 for the coop.

Is the Legbar also trying to mount the hens whose heads she bites? That would be a way of her attempting to assert dominance.

Are they all laying?

I haven't had a bullying problem yet (I have some of the world's most laid-back, easygoing chickens), but I've heard that Pinless Peepers can work wonders in certain situations.

 

[77573]

The Legbar has peepers on now and still pecks the two on the head. We don't understand why it's these two. We have 6 chickens. A cochin that we know is bottom of the order, a Wyandotte that is the leader and a Polish chicken is 2. The Legbar attacks on the head the Easter Egger and Sussex. She will circle them and peck on the head.

 

[McChooky]

Remove any feeders or waterers if you have any inside the coop .Add ventilation and a window . Anything you do to make it more comfortable can prevent aggression.If all else fails you will have to rehome her.

 

[McChooky]

The Legbar has peepers on now and still pecks the two on the head. We don't understand why it's these two. We have 6 chickens. A cochin that we know is bottom of the order, a Wyandotte that is the leader and a Polish chicken is 2. The Legbar attacks on the head the Easter Egger and Sussex. She will circle them and peck on the head.

Have you made an changes to the set up since your original post in September ? That coop was only 4 x 4 coop and the run was 6 x 8 .

 

[aart]

The Legbar has peepers on now and still pecks the two on the head. We don't understand why it's these two. We have 6 chickens. A cochin that we know is bottom of the order, a Wyandotte that is the leader and a Polish chicken is 2. The Legbar attacks on the head the Easter Egger and Sussex. She will circle them and peck on the head.

Did you get all these birds at the same time, did they grow up together?

Might need to get rid of the legbars.
Would proverbially 'kill two birds with one stone',
save the bullied and reduce the flock to better fit the available space.

 

[McChooky]

Crowding and ventilation aren't the only causes of aggression.Chickens need a lot of space and will become stressed when crowded.This lowers their resistance to diseases and can lead to deadly consequences if uncorrected.My suggestion is to go check over this list and see how many of the things apply to your situation.The longer it goes on the worse it'll get