chickens picking on one hen

[bosoxbratt]

Hi there
We need some help we have 15 chickens one is a rooster ..they have all grown up together they are going on 2 years old this spring..the last 2 months or so the one hen has been trying to stay away from the other flock and stays inside the coop mostly cause when she tries to get out the others try and attack her :-( now if the others are eating and not paying attention to h er she can get out and peck around too.
Today I happened to be outside with them and saw them all gang up on her she was pinned down near the fence and could not move some of the hens were pecking her and the male was on top of her..I got them all away from her and she ran back inside the coop she was fine no damage I just dont get why all of a sudden they don't seem to like her :-( I have been giving her treats inside to make sure she is getting some too ..any ideas? Help? Thank you

 

[Czech's_chicks]

Get rid of the mean one that is the head of the bunch. There really is such thing a pecking order and they are displaying it, so either pen the picked on one or get rid of the ring leader.

 

[mstricer]

They see her as the weak link. Maybe there is something wrong with her. She is the lowest in the pecking order. But as far as all of a sudden, I don't know other then there might be something wrong with her. Her isolating herself is probably not helping.

 

[bosoxbratt]

Do you think I should try to force them all together outside ? I could close the hen house up and make them all go outside maybe that would help? They get along fine at night time when they are all inside I just dont get it

 

[mstricer]

I would try to encourage her out with some scratch or treats they like, and watch what happens.

 

[SteveBaz]

I would take the rooster and a couple of the top of the pecking order and lock them up for a few day and let them come back and have to establish themselves in the flock again. Do it every time they hurt her and they will tire of getting locked up and out of the flock and LET HER RUN AROUND AND GET INSIDE THE PECKING ORDER AGAIN. It may work. Who knows until you try?

 

[kari_dawn]

Quote:
I agree. Observe your birds, see which one(s) are at the top of the pecking order, separate them for a couple of weeks, then make them have to re-establish a spot in the pecking order. It would do your timid girl a world of good.

 

[mstricer]

Dang, Steve you are so smart. I would have never thought of that.

 

[Arielle]

I received my first hen when she was picked on at her original home; the owner decided to rehome her and she's now queen of the hens.

Sorry your girl is having a rough time--hope you find a solution.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have had 38 chicks from April, now 29 weeks old. Had a roo in this group who was the leader, very friendly, then 3 months ago the other roos took over 1 by 1, and then they started running him back into the coop and wouldn't let him out. This continued after we would constantly bring him outside. Then the hens started ganging up on him and he was always hidding in a corner or in the nest boxes. We removed the other 3 roos for a month, but the hens became viscious with him. He developed a limp and they pecked his feet till they bled. The last straw came when our 1 lb. mille fluer the bottom of the pecking order visciously pecked him 2 days in a row. We put him down because we felt he was sick either wth heart, kidney, or liver failure and was dying. His comb never became red, he never crowed. It broke our heart because he was our favorite, but we couldn''t make him suffer any more. Hope you have a better outcome. Rehome her if she doen't seem ill because they will kill her.