Chicken being bullied :-(

[kattfink]

Red chickens and bantams are a disaster waiting to happen.
Red chickens tend to enjoy the company of other red chickens, really they are a tad racist and more than a bit bold and firey.
My advise would be to either only have the reds or the bantams in the coop but not both.
There is always going to be a low bird, in your setup likely it will be a bantam. Isolate one red and the other red takes top spot, bantams then fight for second position low bird will still be a bantam and things will still be ugly.

Thanks! I think I will set up another coop and separate the bantams from the reds. Are they ok just as pairs?

 

[Chickassan]

Yes, they'll be fine. You will still have a low and high bird in pairs but not the brutality you're seeing now.

Thanks! I think I will set up another coop and separate the bantams from the reds. Are they ok just as pairs?

 

[kattfink]

How long have you had these birds?
How big is their coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

A wire crate would be a big help, to isolate the injured and the bully in rotation.
Time for some Chicken Juggling.
Put the bully in the crate and see how the other 3 get along.
If that doesn't go well, might have to isolate the injured to protect and heal and reassess for the next step.


Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @kattfink
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 1835371

Thanks for your advice We have a cubby house approx 6ftx6ft with an enclosed run attached which would be 10x26ft.
We have only had them 6 weeks.
Im in Australia VIC and it's winter. Very cold at moment.

 

[Sacri]

This is the first time we have owned chickens. We have 2 reds of some kind and 2 bantoms. We got them from the same guy 1 day apart. One bantam "Lucy" gets constantly attacked by one of the reds. She is always by herself and has lost all feathers around her head, and i noticed a scratch below her eye today. The other 3 are always together and huddle up. The second she approaches, the red attacks her. My poor Lucy is the only one who lets us hold her. I'm scared she will be seriously injured. What should I do? If I isolate her will she be stressed?
Please help!

We got 14 this past winter. One was smaller and all white - different from the rest. She was bullied too but by the crowd (i.e. pushed away when she tried to get food or water, stepped on, pecked), though not as bad as yours. She spent a lot of time with us in the house or in the yard and we made sure to give her food and water where she could eat undisturbed. Once she went through a growth spurt she learned how to stand up for herself a bit and now she is one of the pack like everyone else. See if isolating the trouble maker or the bullied one fixes it. If she is only being bullied by one I'd say remove the bully. Good luck! And welcome!

 

[kattfink]

Things started to settle down with my girls... Lucy became a little more assertive and seemed a little more included (see pic) But this morning she looked terrible. A lot of feathers missing from her face and neck. I rushed out and bought a chicken house with a small run and have put it inside the enclosure. I will fence off half the enclosure so she has more roaming space. Is is a stupid idea to get a bantam chick to put with her? Our other bantam is very close with the 2 reds. Thanks!

 

[Sacri]

That sounds like a very nice idea

 

[ValerieJ]

I don't think getting a chick for her is stupid, but forgive me if I forgot, is she broody? It might not be good for the chick if she isn't broody and doesn't want to take it in. How will the chick stay warm enough? You mean a young 1 or 2 day old, don't you?

 

[kattfink]

I don't think getting a chick for her is stupid, but forgive me if I forgot, is she broody? It might not be good for the chick if she isn't broody and doesn't want to take it in. How will the chick stay warm enough? You mean a young 1 or 2 day old, don't you?[/QUOTE

No... probably a young bantam- old enough to care for itself. What would be the best age? Lucy is 20 weeks old

 

[kattfink]

[/QUOT

I am a total newbie when it comes to chickens! And quite panicked

 

[ValerieJ]

I am a total newbie when it comes to chickens! And quite panicked

Oh yeah. I know how you feel. I’ve been a panicked newby for four years now. I guess when we’ve been through everything and learned from our experiences we’ll calm down. Until then, it’s one chicken event at a time. I think the squabbling over pecking order has been the most difficult for me, so I have done many things like you are doing, separating and pairing until my flock was truly ready to integrate without drawing blood on someone. I kept 3 distinct runs and coops for about 3 mos once and two for about a year. Now they are all together with free range between all coops and runs which will work until I introduce new birds I suppose. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. I love hearing how other newbies solve these chicken issues.