Chicken pulling out other chickens feathers

[candychick]

I have three chickens, one was recently attacked by a hawk and was recovering in our house for a while. We started letting her out with the other chickens. (She was originally the alpha.) The chicken who was once at the bottom was attacking her for a little while and now is pulling out her feathers. Why is this? and How do I stop it?
Her feathers are all grown out except maybe a little smaller than they were before. Also the chickens have plenty of space...they are fenced in with our goats...

 

[HeritageGoose13]

I have three chickens, one was recently attacked by a hawk and was recovering in our house for a while. We started letting her out with the other chickens. (She was originally the alpha.) The chicken who was once at the bottom was attacking her for a little while and now is pulling out her feathers. Why is this?

When your alpha hen "disappeared" the bottom hen saw an opportunity. She made herself leader of the flock. Now she does not want to give it up. As long as your hen has room to run away and hide so she is not being plucked constantly, just let them sort out the pecking order themselves.

 

[sourland]

Any absence from the flock causes adjustments in the pecking order. The low ranked hen is asserting dominance to strengthen her flock position. As long as blood is not being drawn, let them work things out.

 

[candychick]

also the black chicken who was originally second in command has not been treating her any differently and hasn't really been challenging her either

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Some chickens are more "ambitious" than others and really want to be leaders. Others don't really care who's in charge.

 

[candychick]

the thing is that the black chicken is dominant over the golden chicken who is dominant over the white chicken who is dominant over the black chicken....is there any chance that it will stay that way or will someone take over completely??

 

[HeritageGoose13]

The pecking order may change, but each bird will have its own spot in the middle usually.

With some animals there is 1 leader and the rest do as he or she says, with no middle ground.

With chickens one will be dominant over the rest. A second chicken will be submissive to the leader, but will be dominant to the other hens. Then you will have a third hen who submits to the two dominant hens but is dominant herself to the others... and so on and so on until you reach the last chicken.