Chickens fighting all of a sudden??

[rkapfen]

Hey everyone! I’ll try an catch you up on the issue. I raised 2 chicks that are now 6 months old and added them to my original flock of 5. Everything has been fine. One of the girls in my original flock never liked the new ones and she will bite and chase them but overall everyone was fine and the two younger had each other but now one of the younger ones is attacked the other young one. She will literally chase her around the yard to bite her. I feel so bad for her now cause she has no one and keeps trying to cuddle with her sister and keeps getting attacked. She won’t even let her roost next to her. In fact this one chicken won’t let anyone roost next to her. Does anyone else have this issue? Is this common? When they go to bed it’s always a disaster now with so much screaming and fighting going on and I’m having to rearrange them next to other chickens to stop fighting. Am I just being too sensitive to their chicken drama or is this not normal? I just want them all to be happy and healthy and it’s killing me to hear them scream when getting built. They have a nice large coop and they free range from morning to night in the yard so I don’t think boredom/too tight a space is the problem. Any ideas to help?

 

[BlueBaby]

It sound's like a pecking order thing. The one getting picked on is on the bottom of the pecking order, and the sister want's to go up higher in that order.

 

[rkapfen]

It sound's like a pecking order thing. The one getting picked on is on the bottom of the pecking order, and the sister want's to go up higher in that order.

The little one never fights back though. Will this eventually fade away once she feels ahead of her in the order or will she always pick on her? They used to be best friends. They grew up together

 

[BlueBaby]

If it never fights back or stand's up for itself, it will remain at the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[slordaz]

not sure your flock, do you have a rooster in it? they usually break it up if one is being harassed, I had to break down and get a rooster when my alpha hen was killed by a 2 legged varmint trying to steal her eggs she was just about ready to hatch, because hens alone couldn't decide who was the new alpha and couldn't take their doing that for extended period of time. Besides their hormones are probably kicking in if it's jsut the 2 sisters

 

[Folly's place]

Make sure that there's plenty of space, shelters to be out of sight, and multiple feeders and waterers, far apart.
What are they all eating? Any problems there with lower protein diets?
Sometimes a bird is just being a jerk, and has to be rehomed for the good of the whole flock. Is it actually a cockerel? Breeds?
Mary

 

[rkapfen]

not sure your flock, do you have a rooster in it? they usually break it up if one is being harassed, I had to break down and get a rooster when my alpha hen was killed by a 2 legged varmint trying to steal her eggs she was just about ready to hatch, because hens alone couldn't decide who was the new alpha and couldn't take their doing that for extended period of time. Besides their hormones are probably kicking in if it's jsut the 2 sisters

I do have a rooster. He will sometimes yell when they bite each other but never physically tries to break it up.

 

[slordaz]

Maybe they need some midol lol, I know a few guys on the city council that could use some here too lol

 

[rkapfen]

Make sure that there's plenty of space, shelters to be out of site, and multiple feeders and waterers, far apart.
What are they all eating? Any problems there with lower protein diets?
Sometimes a bird is just being a jerk, and has to be rehomed for the good of the whole flock. Is it actually a cockerel? Breeds?
Mary

They free range all day in a large yard with plenty of hiding spaces for all of them. I have 3 feeders and 4 waterers spaced out for them all so they’re are no issues there. They have an organic all flock feed and then an organic laying feed for the hens. They also get plenty of treats such as meal worms and grubblies so low protein shouldn’t be an issue either. I’m sure she’s not actually a cockerel cause she is laying eggs already.

 

[Chickassan]

Are these two laying? If not the one biting is about to start.
They get unreasonably mean a couple weeks before.