Chicken Bully

[Akrnaf2]

One advice if I may, the next time that you want to introduce new chickens to an existing flock, you should quarantine the newcomers using the rule of 40:40 = minimum 40 days of quarantine at a minimum distance of 40 feet from the existing flock!

 

[drumstick diva]

You can put the bully in a time out cage or crate for a few days (with food and water), that might take the wind out of her sails. When you put her back if she starts up again, She needs a longer time out. If she still wants to be despicable you can rehome her, invite her to dinner as the main course, or get her pinless peepers. Chickens can be so enjoyable to have - it's really bad to let one meany spoil the enjoyment. Maybe she was one being disposed of because she was attacking other birds.

 

[malkered]

Hi

Many thanks for your input, I shall look into whether I can get Pinless Peepers in the UK as I don't think I could bear to bump her off!

I was just unlucky with this particular hen, she was picked at random from 14000 egg factory hens that were due for slaughter, the other hen which came with her is behaving quite well and they are both reliably laying nice eggs.

My 20 week old Amber hen is clearly not concerned as she has started to lay this week and she dodges the bully quite well, my Red Hen (I'm still not sure of her breed) is the one who gets the brunt of it. She has just been through a moult and hasn't laid for a few weeks (in fact, I've only had one egg since I rescued her from the squalor that I found her in.

 

[cicknmama]

Thank you all for your replies and your helpful advice.

I suppose that I was naive enough to think that because the last two hens were added to the original two that they would fit in below them but I guess that as they are older than the others and that they came together that I shouldn't be surprised that they try to exert some kind of authority.

Just my luck that out of a choice of 13000 hens to rescue I end up with the bully!

The red hen and the young Amber never peck each other and spend most of their time together, the other ex farm hen leaves them alone and just gets on with it. The bullying hen seems to actively attack the red hen, she will join her on her perch, sit right next to her and peck at her . The red hen just complains vocally and looks very upset. I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do but when she's done it in front of me I've removed the bully from the perch and put her on the floor.

I have a bully also. I put pinless peepers on her and now she's a different hen. She minds her own business and even let's me hold her now. Much more docile. You might try it.

 

[shorttimer]

I also have a bully problem. Is this an item that has to stay on all their life or for an 'adjustment' period?

 

[cicknmama]

I also have a bully problem. Is this an item that has to stay on all their life or for an 'adjustment' period?

I put them on her this past winter for about a month and her behavior eventually turned bad again. I may not have left it on long enough but I've read you can usually break them of this bad habit. The peepers have only been on a couple weeks so I will leave them on for another month or Do and see what happens.

 

[shorttimer]

I'm just curious, do they put up much fuss when you install the peepers? Do they need to be customized/adjusted for each bird? I looked for a video on the installation & couldn't find one. I've heard that I need to wrap up the chicken in a towel for handling when clipping toe nails or other things? Any info will be a big help. Thanks

 

[gemig]

I too have single chicken being bullied by the other three. They take turns pulling at her feathers and she is missing all her breast feathers and under both wings.
I have her separated at present to try and let her feathers grow back. She is still eating, drinking and laying.
I am concerned about putting her back with the other three hens.

We just have the four hens in a large area and a coop that is made for six hens, so I don't think they are too crowded.
The bullied hen was introduced to the flock later than the other three.


Any suggestion?

 

[cicknmama]

I'm just curious, do they put up much fuss when you install the peepers? Do they need to be customized/adjusted for each bird? I looked for a video on the installation & couldn't find one. I've heard that I need to wrap up the chicken in a towel for handling when clipping  toe nails or other things? Any info will be a big help. Thanks

The peepers came with instructions on how to install them. They say you need a tool to open the pins but I didn't need one. I did get my daughter to hold my hen in a football hold and gently keep her head straight while I opened the pins and put them on her. She won't like it and will wiggle her head but it doesn't hurt them. As long as you are gentle and take your time and not get frustrated with her all will be fine.

 

[cicknmama]

I too have single chicken being bullied by the other three. They take turns pulling at her feathers and she is missing all her  breast feathers  and under both wings.   
 I have her separated at present to try and let her feathers grow back. She is still eating, drinking and laying.
I am concerned about putting her back with the other three hens. 

We just have the four hens in a large area and a coop that is made for six hens, so I don't think they are too crowded. 
The bullied hen was introduced to the flock later than the other three.


Any suggestion?

Sometimes separating them makes the behavior worse. And the bullying becomes a habit you now have to break. I have noticed with my own flock that it is usually just one hen that is the instigator and the others are learning that behavior. There are some great articles on BYC about behavioral issues. It may be as simple as pinless peepers and it may not. There are other ways to break that habit if you are not comfortable with peepers. I would watch them very carefully and find out who is instigating. Sometimes giving that hen a time out works also.