Chicken Bully What Should I Do?

[RobN72]

Hello there,
I had two chickens and one passed away in March. Then I had one and she was very loud and distressed so we got two more. We got the others two yesterday. They are 18 weeks old but my original chicken is nearly a year. The original chicken is picking on them. She has made one bleed on the leg and she won’t let them come outside to eat or drink. She makes the stay in the nesting boxes and won’t let them come to the run. They are very scared so this evening we put them in a box elsewhere. We cannot do this for long as we have a small garden and cannot keep them separate easily. Please could you let me know what to do to stop the bully. I really want to avoid getting rid of any. This is because i have a close bond with the original chicken and do not want to get rid of her. I also don’t want to get rid of the newbies as then the original chicken will be lonely again. Please let me know as soon as possible what to do.
Thank you
P.S. To avoid confusion the original chicken is called Roxy and the newbies are Pearl and Bonnie

 

[Aquira]

Did you introduce them with a "look but no touch" method for a couple weeks? Most of the time you can't just throw in newbies without a period of time where the other chickens can't hurt them but get used to them instead.

 

[RobN72]

Did you introduce them with a "look but no touch" method for a couple weeks? Most of the time you can't just throw in newbies without a period of time where the other chickens can't hurt them but get used to them instead.

We did it for a day as we don’t have much room and can’t keep them separate easily. We have a coop and that is it.

 

[Aquira]

We did it for a day as we don’t have much room and can’t keep them separate easily. We have a coop and that is it.

Probably your best bet then is get a large dog kennel and put the bully in there for awhile with food and water. At least a couple days. After that, you can do supervised visits of the bully being out. If she's a butt, put her up.

 

[RobN72]

Probably your best bet then is get a large dog kennel and put the bully in there for awhile with food and water. At least a couple days. After that, you can do supervised visits of the bully being out. If she's a butt, put her up.

Okay thank you but what do you mean “put her up” as I don’t really know what that means.

 

[Aquira]

Okay thank you but what do you mean “put her up” as I don’t really know what that means.

So, ideally you'll have the crate either inside the coop/run or nearby. Basically where she can see them but not harass the other chickens.
When I mention putting her up, this would be putting her back in the crate if she is relentlessly bullying the other chickens. Essentially, "sending her to her room" for misbehaving.
If you don't have a run that the dog kennel will fit, be sure to make it nice and secure so predators can't get to her.

 

[neo71665]

Put her up means put her back in the dog crate.

 

[RobN72]

Okay thank you but what do you mean “put her up” as I don’t really know what that means.

So, ideally you'll have the crate either inside the coop/run or nearby. Basically where she can see them but not harass the other chickens.
When I mention putting her up, this would be putting her back in the crate if she is relentlessly bullying the other chickens. Essentially, "sending her to her room" for misbehaving.
If you don't have a run that the dog kennel will fit, be sure to make it nice and secure so predators can't get to her.

Thank you I will try my best. Do you have any other suggest in case that does not work?

 

[RobN72]

Put her up means put her back in the dog crate.

Thanks

 

[Aquira]

Thank you I will try my best. Do you have any other suggest in case that does not work?

You could try having hiding places for them (that don't dead end so more like a tunnel or something) that she can't get in to to pester them. You could also try just having more visual clutter that will break line of site between her and them if she's out of the crate.
This one is only a maybe. You could maybe try being a mediator. If she's being too rough go over there and correct her. Essentially pretend your hand is a chicken head and "peck" her. Don't hit her hard, just enough for her to notice. Repeat the "pecks" until she stops harassing the others.