Bullying hen

[AlliJackson]

Hi yall. Bear with me as I am new still. I have a few issues going on, and need some guidance.

1) I have a 1 cochin hen that is a little over 1 year old. She started laying a few months back, and has been my ONLY chicken for about 3 months (the others wandered off and never returned). Anyway, my hen stopped laying about 2 weeks ago. There are no roosters around and she seems to be displaying broody behaviors (stays in her nesting box all the time! I take her out and she immediately runs around and eats and drinks, then returns to the box. So, I figured she may be broody..if that's possible, even though she hasn't laid in 2 weeks and there is no rooster).

2) my 2nd issue is I am introducing 4 easter Eggers to the coop. They are 10 weeks old. Last night was their first night and it went ok, but the hen stayed in her nesting box all day & night and did not even interact.

3) today, I took the hen out of the box to force her outside to eat and she chowed down and has since been chasing the pullets around the yard and almost bullying them. I know there is a pecking order to be established. Is this what is going on? And at what point (if at all) do I need to intervene? And since she may be broody, do I need to put her in a cage separate in "timeout " anyway to break her of broody while the pullets get used to the coop and run?

Thank you in advance!!

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if she is broody for sure. I'd break her while the chicks acclimate to the coop/run and then reintroduce her. Her behavior is normal pecking order . It is problematic if birds are unable to eat or drink or blood is drawn.

 

[AlliJackson]

It sounds as if she is broody for sure. I'd break her while the chicks acclimate to the coop/run and then reintroduce her. Her behavior is normal pecking order . It is problematic if birds are unable to eat or drink or blood is drawn.

Thank you!! I only have 1 coop for all of them. Would you recommend I cage her inside the coop where the pullets are too, or remove her completely (only other place I have is my garage)

 

[aart]

Would you recommend I cage her inside the coop where the pullets are too, or remove her completely (only other place I have is my garage)

If the crate will fit in the coop, that's best.
Otherwise crate her in the run during the day and in the garage at night.

Think that was suggested on your other thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/introducing-pullets-to-1-hen-that-may-be-broody.1464521/

 

[dct10]

Yeah, my cochin hen just went broody as well. She became very aggressive toward the young chicks and started chasing them whenever they were close to her. Fortunately she's not as fast as them. I can only guess this is common w broody hens. Hens can go broody even when a rooster is not around to fertilize the eggs. You need to take the eggs away because they will continue to lay on them indefinitely waiting for the eggs to hatch and could even die if allowed to go long enough.

 

[AlliJackson]

Yeah, my cochin hen just went broody as well. She became very aggressive toward the young chicks and started chasing them whenever they were close to her. Fortunately she's not as fast as them. I can only guess this is common w broody hens. Hens can go broody even when a rooster is not around to fertilize the eggs. You need to take the eggs away because they will continue to lay on them indefinitely waiting for the eggs to hatch and could even die if allowed to go long enough.

She isn't even any eggs to sit on. She literally has been sitting in an empty nesting box. Refusing to eat/drink. I physically take her out of the nesting box and she eats and drinks just fine. Then, returns to her empty nesting box.

I have put her in a metal dog crate elevated on bricks and have food and water in there, in hopes to break her. It is hit or miss if she eats. I let her out during the day and lock the door to the coop and she interacts well with the new pullets, but if I would allow her to go back I to the coop, she will sit in an empty nesting box. Not laying any eggs.

 

[Mamatomany123]

She isn't even any eggs to sit on. She literally has been sitting in an empty nesting box. Refusing to eat/drink. I physically take her out of the nesting box and she eats and drinks just fine. Then, returns to her empty nesting box.

I have put her in a metal dog crate elevated on bricks and have food and water in there, in hopes to break her. It is hit or miss if she eats. I let her out during the day and lock the door to the coop and she interacts well with the new pullets, but if I would allow her to go back I to the coop, she will sit in an empty nesting box. Not laying any eggs.

They don't care if thre are eggs under them or not. One of mine sat on a golf ball. I would keep her in the elevated crate, day and night, for 72 hours. I was letting my broody out during the day and she was still broody after 5 days. Realized she ws sitting in the run keeping her belly warm. After 72 hours in the crate she was done. Put food and water in with her. She will eat and drink when she wants. Once she's no longer broody integration may be easier. Broody hens are cranky hens.