Chicken bully

[Ekemp]

One of my chickens was very sick for a while, and was separated. I gave her rooster booster and kept her in a small crate in our shed for 2 weeks while she recovered. She's doing great now, but is still small.

On the 3rd week we allowed her to free range with everyone while supervised for a couple of hours each day, and for the most part everyone did fine. Occasionally she would face off with two other chickens, but would back down and run away. When they weren't free ranging together, we put her in our extra chicken run with her three friends who are perfectly fine with her. At night we put her back in the shed.

Once the faceoffs during free ranging seemed to stop (4th week), we tried putting her in the enclosed run with everyone- but two chickens immediately attacked her. Unfortunately we had to leave town for a week, so our chicken-sitter kept her separated. Every day she put Elphie (sick chicken) in the extra run with her friends, and back into the shed at night.

Now we are home and trying to figure out how to best reintegrate her into the flock without injury. Her three friends are still doing great, don't care about her in the slightest. But the two meanies will still attack her on occasion during free ranging, and I absolutely do not trust them in the same enclosure. I know when you have one bully that you can separate them to reset the pecking order, but what about when you have two (possibly even three, I have another chicken who I haven't yet determined to be trustworthy)? One of the meanies is also plucking feathers from all of her sisters, so I definitely need to do something.

I also have limited predator free spaces- The main coop and run is where the meanies spend their time, the extra run is where Elphie and her friends hang out (not predator proofed), and the crate in the shed is where Elphie spends the night.

Thanks for any recommendations you can give!!

Pic of one friendly chicken and one big meanie.

 

[Nonafel]

Sounds like placing her in a dog crate or something similar so she can be with the group but no one can physically interact is an option.

Part of the problem is she's sleeping away from the group. Try to find a way to put a safe crate in the sleeping area for her.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Switch her out with the bullies—separate them the way you have been separating her for a week or so. When you reintroduce them them will be at the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[Ekemp]

Switch her out with the bullies—separate them the way you have been separating her for a week or so. When you reintroduce them them will be at the bottom of the pecking order.

This is what I was thinking, but I don't have a predator proof area to separate all three bullies. I'm guessing they would they need to each be in their own pen? Like solitary confinement?

 

[Ekemp]

Sounds like placing her in a dog crate or something similar so she can be with the group but no one can physically interact is an option.

Part of the problem is she's sleeping away from the group. Try to find a way to put a safe crate in the sleeping area for her.

Hmm, I hadn't thought about that option. I'll see if I can fit a dog crate in the coop so she can sleep in the same space with everyone else. I've also read that you can keep them in a dog crate within the big run during the day so (as you said) they can all see her but not physically interact. Would that be the best option? Just keep her in the dog crate day and night in the communial space? Thank you!