- Mar 31, 2009
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I have 2o chickens, of which 8 are roosters. My speckled sussex hen is so mean, she will bully everyone else, except the two dominant roosters.
My chickens free range from 6 am to 8 pm on our 10 acres. But the last three days, they have been cooped up. When I come home from work, only the two top dawg roosters, and three other roosters and the one hen are out and about. And I call the chickens out, they all come out, but this speckled hen will immediately attach my favorite roo, and he runs back into the coop. Then she will go after my BO, and she runs back into the coop. Then pretty soon all others will run back in because the sussex will start picking on them.
Then finally the main rooster will go after the hen and make her go away, but then he stands at the coop door and won't let the chickens out. Then at night he won't let the sussex into the coop!
I've started now establishing that I'm alpha roo after reading roo behavior, and last night I came home to find my BO had a hole on her head by her comb, and I know the sussex did it, because my BO was alpha and I think the bully is fighting to get to the top. The thing is that she will also do this to the roos, except the top two guys.
This sussex hen will always go for the head and she looks like she means to kill the times I've seen her abuse the hens before I go and kick her. Finally last night I put her in a dog kennel to keep her away for a few days.
Will that help? Or will she be always a problem hen and I have to make chicken soup out of her?
My chickens free range from 6 am to 8 pm on our 10 acres. But the last three days, they have been cooped up. When I come home from work, only the two top dawg roosters, and three other roosters and the one hen are out and about. And I call the chickens out, they all come out, but this speckled hen will immediately attach my favorite roo, and he runs back into the coop. Then she will go after my BO, and she runs back into the coop. Then pretty soon all others will run back in because the sussex will start picking on them.
Then finally the main rooster will go after the hen and make her go away, but then he stands at the coop door and won't let the chickens out. Then at night he won't let the sussex into the coop!
I've started now establishing that I'm alpha roo after reading roo behavior, and last night I came home to find my BO had a hole on her head by her comb, and I know the sussex did it, because my BO was alpha and I think the bully is fighting to get to the top. The thing is that she will also do this to the roos, except the top two guys.
This sussex hen will always go for the head and she looks like she means to kill the times I've seen her abuse the hens before I go and kick her. Finally last night I put her in a dog kennel to keep her away for a few days.
Will that help? Or will she be always a problem hen and I have to make chicken soup out of her?
