Chicken Pecking Order that has gotten out of hand...

[Calvin T]

TuTu of five-

I have raised and been around chickens for sixty (60) years. I don't remember who said it, but one said to eat the aggressive hen. You didn't respond so I would like to comment.
First- you said she crowed! There is an old saying, "A whistling girl and a crowning hen will a come to a no good end!" Years ago- before people tried to have a "few" chickens as pets instead of many for eggs and meat, if a hen crowed she was instantly killed and not even afforded the decency of being eaten. Which is what would happen to any hen I had to crow- by the way I keep somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred (100) birds and it is amazing to me the advice some give for proper feeding. Mine are (mostly) show birds. The lack of protein WILL cause them to eat feathers from the other birds but this hen is warped!
Second- All chickens do have those that are more aggressive and the breed is not necessary the cause, although some are. But RIR are not normally aggressive, however if one hen is more afraid, runs and hides etc, the aggressive ones will pick up on that and cause them to REALLY pick on those. Just like kids in school that pick of the skittish kid- being boys or girls.

 

[DDRanch]

I had a similiar situation last Spring when I raised 16 new chicks and incorporated them into an existing flock. They lived side by side for months and even shared supervised free range time daily. All was well with the exception of one hen. I dont have any roosters.

One older hen would consistently seek out and attack the younger ones. She would even hide in the bushes for a surprise attack. I worked with her for weeks, doing many of the things that have been suggested here to you. Lots of good advice but not any of it worked for me. I have come to believe there are just mean hens. And this one didnt change.

I finally culled her. What I discovered immediately after she was gone was a peace that settled over my flock. The flock as a whole became calmer and happier and i have to believe healthier too. And for me? I stopped the worry and the endless vigilence trying to protect everyone. Absolutely the right decision for my flock.

I hope the suggestions can work for you and you can rehab her.
Good luck.

 

[baylea82000]

Try using Vicks Vapor Rub on the chicken that is getting pecked. I had the same problem when introducing a new hen and Vicks solved the problem. Now everyone in the coop is friends.

 

[Beekissed]

TuTu of five-

I have raised and been around chickens for sixty (60) years. I don't remember who said it, but one said to eat the aggressive hen. You didn't respond so I would like to comment.
First- you said she crowed! There is an old saying, "A whistling girl and a crowning hen will a come to a no good end!" Years ago- before people tried to have a "few" chickens as pets instead of many for eggs and meat, if a hen crowed she was instantly killed and not even afforded the decency of being eaten. Which is what would happen to any hen I had to crow- by the way I keep somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred (100) birds and it is amazing to me the advice some give for proper feeding. Mine are (mostly) show birds. The lack of protein WILL cause them to eat feathers from the other birds but this hen is warped!
Second- All chickens do have those that are more aggressive and the breed is not necessary the cause, although some are. But RIR are not normally aggressive, however if one hen is more afraid, runs and hides etc, the aggressive ones will pick up on that and cause them to REALLY pick on those. Just like kids in school that pick of the skittish kid- being boys or girls.

Hear, hear! A hen that crows has more than her fair share of testosterone and isn't likely a good layer in the first place, so those were culled right away from the flock...but at our place they were eaten.

There's nothing wrong in identifying bad traits in a chicken and culling that bird for the good of the flock. One of my yearly culling criteria is temperament and I've never had a bad tempered hen yet that was a good layer, so one can often eliminate one problem by paying attention to the other. I never allow needless aggression to exist in my flocks as it serves no good purpose and it upsets the social structure and laying patterns of the other birds.

 

[eaglegreen]

I've readl this whole thread and found it very interesting, and helpful. One suggestion that I have not seen was given to me by an old friend in MN who raised many chickens over the years. He taught me how to use a kerosene lantern and an old #3 washtub with holes in the bottom (necessary for ventilation) to make a brooder for day old chicks. Most helpful in areas where sometimes spring power outages would happen. Anyway, he told me to get a cheap bottle of red fingernail polish, and put dots around the edge of the chicks area, about eye height. Half a dozen or so. The baby chicks got used to pecking on those spots and left other chicks alone. I've used this trick even when introducing newer chicks into an existing flock. A day or two before the newbies arrive, I dot several areas in the coop and their pen with the red nail polish. Gives the older gals a chance to find them and focus their attention there. When the new girls arrive they learn to peck the dots also, and everybody leaves every other body alone. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give this a try with "Bossy".

 

[Calvin T]

Hear, hear! A hen that crows has more than her fair share of testosterone and isn't likely a good layer in the first place, so those were culled right away from the flock...but at our place they were eaten.

There's nothing wrong in identifying bad traits in a chicken and culling that bird for the good of the flock. One of my yearly culling criteria is temperament and I've never had a bad tempered hen yet that was a good layer, so one can often eliminate one problem by paying attention to the other. I never allow needless aggression to exist in my flocks as it serves no good purpose and it upsets the social structure and laying patterns of the other birds.

The problem here, like some others on here, she has just a few birds and it would be hard to do away with one of them. However for the betterment of the flock sometimes you just have to do things you don't like. As far as the laying goes I suppose you are right, never really noticed, like I said they die immediately after the first crow I hear.
By the way, on a different note, I once had a Cornish cross cockerel crow at 7 weeks of age. LOL
Now speaking of aggressive birds- the Golden Campine Bantams are very aggressive, I have 40 of those, plus the Americana's, Barred Rocks, a breed I created myself- yet to see how they will do, and many Black Sexlinks for eggs. Usually hatch around 200 birds each year again mostly the Campines. Wish I could find someone else that had them but can't seem to find anyone else.

 

[Beekissed]

That seems to be the general consensus with small flocks...if I only have a few, how can I justify killing or getting rid of one? But, a small flock is just like a larger flock in that it functions best if the social behaviors are conducive for a healthy, happy life. Just because the flock is small it doesn't mean a bird cannot be eliminated for the good of the rest of them and for peace of mind. Eventually birds will die anyway and the same concept is there...I'm losing birds but I only have a few, whatever will I do?? That's simple...you replace your flock numbers by adding new birds. Same as always.

Now, I can see an unwillingness to part with a chicken if each person was only allotted X number of birds for their lives and then they could have no more, but that's simply not the case. I don't see anyone hesitating to say "make it soup" when it's a rooster with bad behavior, but if it's a hen they all act like it's the last birds on Earth they can ever have.....ever!

I've got a news flash for folks.....hen taste the same as rooster, except they have more fat and are a little more juicy. Makes them even more a target for soup, IMO.

Good flock management applies to any size flock.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I think it's more important in small flocks - in large flocks the aggression gets spread around better - in a smaller flock it gets more targeted, and becomes more damaging. Eventually you start losing birds that are low in the pecking order - and then you're selecting for more aggression.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. Not that most people with that small of a flock are breeding, but it's just common sense if the common denominator is just the one chicken, taking it out of the equation solves the problem.

The OP seems to have made peace in the flock for now and I hope it lasts. If not, there are still options for permanent removal of the bad bird. If I were new in chickens and just starting out, I'd probably try several different options before eliminating the culprit also. Now that I'm just old...in all ways...I just cut to the chase and take the most expedient and final solution each and every year to insure the rest of the flock have a good life, productivity and health stays at optimal levels and flock tending isn't a stress filled adventure. I cull any meanies that show up...roosters have an excuse for throwing their weight around at times, but a hen rarely does, unless she is protecting young ones.

 

[ellend]

Can you post a better picture of Bossy? If they are only 7 months old, and "she" is crowing, she is a HE. Pullets that age do not crow.

My bantam Old English laid eggs and crowed. Mainly only if she was alarmed, and VERY MUCH when there was a rooster loose in the area; she didn't care for any roos on her block!