Bullying?

[cvlcite]

Hi everyone I’m a little concerned.
Im a new chicken owner so I’m not so sure yet what’s considered normal pecking order drama or actual bullying but here’s what’s happening.
One of my chickens has been picking on the other, but none of them are new to each other at this point, it just happened yesterday out of seemingly nowhere at bedtime. First she started to peck at her feet up on the roost, they eventually got quiet so I didn’t think anything of it, but this morning she’s chasing her around and keeping her away from the food.
To clarify, none of my other chickens are partaking in harassing her and the bully isnt going after anyone else, just this one particular chickens, and she’s not even the lowest member of the flock.
Does this sound like it’s going to become a problem? At what point do I intervene? I only worry because their run is close to a neighbors fence and I’m worried she’ll chase her over into his yard.
thanks for any help!

 

[sourland]

I'd remove the bully from the flock for a couple of days. Hopefully that will readjust her attitude.

 

[sloanbychoice]

It can be hard to know when to intervene. It sounds like something new is going on, since these two didn’t have an issue before.
Pecking order can shift at any time for countless reasons. It’s an ever evolving situation. In my flock, there is daytime order and roosting drama. And they are very different.
I would make sure you have multiple feeders and waterers to prevent a mean girls clique at one source.
I would use your gut on whether to intervene. If there is no real harm done, and they seem okay for the most part, it typically works itself out. That said, if a hen is having a miserable time of it and being stressed out due to an issue, then it may be time to put the bully girl in time out. You can take her out, put her in a kennel or separate place, and let that other girl adjust. Then put her back later. Typically, time out needs to be a few days.

 

[aart]

One of my chickens has been picking on the other, but none of them are new to each other at this point, it just happened yesterday out of seemingly nowhere at bedtime.

How old are your birds, in weeks or months?
Pics of their coop and run might help here.

 

[victrolla71]

I too am having an issue with a bully chicken. We only have three chickens, they are two years old, the victim was sick for awhile (like three weeks) and was brought in the house. She still doesn't seem to be"normal", she will scratch and dust bath but she still won't get on the roost or even hop on the deck which is something she would do before.
I slowly reintroduced her to the other two girls, the head hen has no problem with her but the middle hen is a bully. The victim hen will give the middle hen space, she never tries to instigate anything and instead will run in the opposite direction. The bully pecks at her comb and recently, for no apparent reason, has been jumping on her back like a rooster would and pecking her! I'm at my wits end and ready to re-home the bully! We've tried putting the bully in a separate closed off section of the run for a few days and when we put them back together she just goes back to being a bully. I tried the recipe on this site for the peck no more stuff, but as soon as I put that on the victim the bully stalked her allover the run and jumped on her back.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, like I said I'm tired of having a bully in the hen house.

 

[cmom]

Remove the bully for a few days then reintroduce her to the flock. If she persists being a bully remove her again for a bit of a longer period and then reintroduce her. Most of the time it works. Good luck...

 

[Teresa D]

I'd remove the bully from the flock for a couple of days. Hopefully that will readjust her attitude.

Thats what I have decided that Im going to do if I see this continue, the girls have been away for the winter but hopefully now that they are back all will be good.

 

[chickacorn]

tbh, i think it's fine. Unless the chicken getting bullied isn't getting any food or water and is going thirsty. My chooks tend to do this with treats, the higher totem pole chickens will grunt at the little ones, and will oftentimes jump on top of them to pose an attack. The little ones tend to stick together, and as long as the victim isn't the only one being iced out she should be fine. However, if she begins to stress, intervene