Chicken Bullying

[FeaheredWifeLife]

Hello! I'm hoping someone can give some insight or just a peace of mind that I am doing the right thing.

I am new to chicken and duck keeping as of this spring. We have had our 3 buff orpingtons and 2 welsh harlequin ducks together since they were old enough to go outside I have not had any issues with bullying until recently.

Recently, within the past week or two weeks, I would notice on my camera throughout the day a chicken would run and chase and peck at the ducks even when they were just sitting there minding their own business.

It was so bad this morning they would just run after the ducks and peck them enough to grab their feathers out and even grab hold of their tails.

I thought maybe one chicken was being the bully but it was two of them.

I moved the ducks to our old non-insulated coop and kept the chickens in the insulated one. I feel so bad for them getting picked on and feel I will have to keep them separated, which leads me to my final struggle of having to rehome the chickens then, since we only really have space for one coop, and the old coop is just temporary at least for the winter.

 

[WingItRanch]

I'm sorry you're going through this. There's a member on this platform, @Mrs. K that says "always solve for peace in the flock." If you feel the chickens need to be rehomed, then go with your instinct.

One question... are either of these ducks male? The reason I ask is that sometimes a male duck will try to mate a chicken and can really hurt them since the anatomy is so different in the 2 species. The chickens may be chasing off attempts at mating. That's just speculation on my part.

 

[FeaheredWifeLife]

I'm sorry you're going through this. There's a member on this platform, @Mrs. K that says "always solve for peace in the flock." If you feel the chickens need to be rehomed, then go with your instinct.

One question... are either of these ducks male? The reason I ask is that sometimes a male duck will try to mate a chicken and can really hurt them since the anatomy is so different in the 2 species. The chickens may be chasing off attempts at mating. That's just speculation on my part.

They are all females. And like I said grew up and were in the same coop and run for 6 months now. I guess the bullying could have been going on longer, I just now noticed it first hand in front of me.

 

[Yardmom]

Are your birds laying eggs? Are any of them showing signs of broodiness?

 

[FeaheredWifeLife]

They are all laying. I had one go broodie a month ago but she stopped and these ones that are attacking the ducks arent the same behavior.

 

[Mrs. K]

As you are finding out, being raised together has almost no influence on their behavior. While one hates to let birds go, it is worse just wishing they would all get along and being disappointed when they don’t.