Bullying chickens

[moms]

In the morning first thing, I open the secured box door to let the chickens out in the small run for the morning hours. The queen black sexlinks come jumping out and go eat. The younger buff orpingtons are kept hostage in the secure box and cannot come out and eat. Every time they try to come down the ramp to get some vittles, the black sexlink chases them back up to the secure box. This has been going on since they were all put together three weeks ago. So, i put a little food in the box for the orpintons so they won't starve. Also...when they all go in to roost at night, the sex links hog the roosting bars and force the little ones to sleep in the nesting box. Can anyone here help me with this bullying thing. It doesn't seem to be getting any better. My orpingtons are almost as big as my sexlinks. I'm hoping when they surpass them in size the behavior may change. Can anyone help here? Thanks kind folks.

 

[Judy]

Orpingtons are typically the buliied breed. I actually would not expect this to change when their size changes. I had an Orp who avoided the flock altogether. If you can identify one or two "leaders." you can separate that bird for several days. It is possible that enlarging the coop and run, and adding a roost, would solve the problem. Whatever you do, letting anyone sleep in nest boxes is not a good idea.

 

[skitzkle]

I have two younger orpingtons's to add to my flock when they get bigger the are 5 weeks younger and I am afraid this is going to happen to them also. They are being raised with some cinnamon queens so hopefully the 4 of them will stick together and keep the bullying down. I also have to cull some roosters out so maybe I will do it all at the same time and the whole flock will just readjust.

 

[NosiphoChooks]

New and young chickens are always bottom of the pecking order to start with, this will shift and adjust slightly as they get older but you will probably always find the sex-links are dominant. I would do as someone has suggested above, split off the most aggressive ones and confine them on their own for a week or so. then put them back into the more-established flock. Hopefully the orps will have moved up the hierarchy a bit. My BO is top-dog in our flock but she was the first chicken I ever had so think this is why.