chickens still sorting out the pecking order?

[gkeniston]

I am sure this has been answered before, but I can make the search feature work for me. I hope you all dont mind....

I added 2 EE pullets to my flock of 4 brown leghorns early in February. They all stopped laying and squabbled for a few (4 or 5) weeks. Things seemed to have settled down and most of the ens began laying again. For the past couple of days the Leghorns have been really beating up on one of the EE hens to the point where she is bleeding quite badly from her foot. Why would they start fighting again? Should I separate her from the others? Is there anything I can do to help her injury heal? She is still laying, and walking. But she was bleeding quite a bit. Any help would be greatly appreciated. All of the hens are about a year old now, if that makes a difference.

 

[Lesa]

If she is bleeding "quite a bit"- I think she needs to be separated. Chickens are very attracted to red/blood. Things could get ugly fast. Do they have enough room. Seems strange they would start that kind of picking, so late in the game...Good luck!

 

[Judy]

I agree, separate her right away. Just clean up the wound the way you would your own, no dressing, as long as any ointment nas no "caine" drugs in it (cetacaine, benzocaine, etc.) She can go back when there is no visible blood.

It is possible she had a small injury and they attacked it; it doesn't take much blood to stir this up in them. Ideally, identify a ringleader and, when you put the injured one back, separate her for several days, to rotate her to the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Leghorns are big meanies >

I would get rid of any gnarly aggressors or get rid of the wimpy e.e.

But thats just me, now that they have drawn blood, it probobly wont get better for the e.e.

once again though, thats just my opinion. I had a hen that was being pretty mean to my newbies. When the other hens saw her acting that way, they joined in. I removed the head hen for about two weeks. Made her be all by herself. In that time there were still squabbles but they sorted it out and everypone got along. When i introduced her back into the flock she was immediately placed at the bottom of the pecking order and its stayed that way for almost a year.

so maybe try and watch them and see who your main aggressor is?

 

[gkeniston]

Yeah. they have plenty of room, I have a big coop and its just the 6 of them. I guess I will try and separate the ring leader if I can pick her out. How long should I keep her separate? Can I keep her seperate in the same coop? I dont really have anywhere else to keep a hen. Any suggestions?