Chicken attitude problems

[jaclyncarneal]

So a little bit of back story.. We started with 4 babies and then got 1 hen and 3 more straight run babies. Now we added 3 more hens (roughly a month ago).
Well we assumed the pecking order would calm down all the girls know their place.
Well our original hen (Big momma) is at the top of the order and super agressive non stop for no reason. Our hens show submission they lay flat head down and wings spread. She gets on top and rips their feathers out. She chases them down to do it. The girls run from her but she corners them. She wont let the new hens eat anything unless im sitting there and literally push her away constantly. I dont know how to make her stop. Any help or advice is very appreciated.

 

[jaclyncarneal]

She only does this to the three grown hens by the way. She just pecks the babies if they get too close on the roost at night. Shes super agressive towards one hen in particular also (Dusty). Dusty happens to be the most submissive and shes so scared now that even when we do to touch her she drops and throws her wings out terrified. Its insane how much mental damage big momma has done to her. I just want her to leave the girls alone.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So, if I an reading this right, you are at 11 birds now? What are the dimensions, in feet, of the coop and ruin the birds are in? How many feed and water stations do you have?

 

[jaclyncarneal]

Coop is 8ft wide 16ft long 6 or 7 ft tall. But they free roam all day in my yard. There are 2 feed stations in coop plus we feed them outside coop all day (snacks and etc). Water 1 in and 1 out of coop. Not sure how big my yard is exactly but it took 11 8 ft panels for privacy fence on the length side.
Shes most agressive out of the coop. As soon as dusty walks by she gets her. The rest she gets when i bring snacks out or new food

 

[jaclyncarneal]

This is dusty... Is it a breed thing? Is dusty so scared because of her breed? I dont even know what she is

 

[Chickassan]

You might have to put big momma in chicken jail for a week or two so she isn't head honcho anymore. Did you do a slow introduction with the new ones because if you didn't big momma sees them as intruders and will continue to attack until she's sure they are supposed to be there.

 

[andreanar]

Id take the bully and keep her in a dog crate away from hearing and eyesight of the others for 1 week then reintegrate her. Hopefully it will change the pecking order and bully will find herself low on totem. There are ways to slowly integrate birds and I don't know if you did this or not. But I would start here and if the separation doesn't work, you can go back and try to do some other things about integrating them slower. Or cull the bully.

 

[jaclyncarneal]

My fiancees idea of "slow integration" he got from the farmer where we bought our hens. 1 hour one on one with each hen in the coop and big momma. Then let them figure it out. Which obviously didnt work well. Chicken jail it is hahaha.