Conflict in the flock

[Presnell5]

Hi! This is gonna be a long one. I hope you guys can help me. Ok so I had previously posted about a bully chicken and I got some good advice about my coop set up. So I added some blinds so they don’t see each other as much. I have 7 feeders. I have roosts and chairs and logs. That was all there when the problem started. So I have this hen a Rhode Island White and she has relentlessly attacked a new EE We have. She jumps on her back bites ,her neck, chases her. So much so that her back is bare. So 2 days after I wrote in she went broody along with my BO. So I let them raise chicks together. 4 new babies. She’s been a good mom. So now of course she’s chasing other chickens but I mean she’s a new mom so I can’t blame her entirely. She now will also attack her best friend though and I’m not to thrilled about that. However this morning she was chasing her babies away from food! And I just don’t get it! So I put her in confinement for the day and it’s so peaceful. But here’s the catch.... a couple weeks ago while white chicken was with the babies I caught the targeted EE jumping on the back of another down low on the pecking order hen. So now I don’t know what to think. Who’s actually causing the conflict. Could the bullied hen have learned this behavior? Could the “bully” hen just be keeping the other hen in check?! I’m just not sure where to go. They both lay good and are on the young side so I don’t want to give away but that might be my only option...? I’ve included a pic of my coop. They are out of it 90% of the time

 

[JLS]

Hi! This is gonna be a long one. I hope you guys can help me. Ok so I had previously posted about a bully chicken and I got some good advice about my coop set up. So I added some blinds so they don’t see each other as much. I have 7 feeders. I have roosts and chairs and logs. That was all there when the problem started. So I have this hen a Rhode Island White and she has relentlessly attacked a new EE We have. She jumps on her back bites ,her neck, chases her. So much so that her back is bare. So 2 days after I wrote in she went broody along with my BO. So I let them raise chicks together. 4 new babies. She’s been a good mom. So now of course she’s chasing other chickens but I mean she’s a new mom so I can’t blame her entirely. She now will also attack her best friend though and I’m not to thrilled about that. However this morning she was chasing her babies away from food! And I just don’t get it! So I put her in confinement for the day and it’s so peaceful. But here’s the catch.... a couple weeks ago while white chicken was with the babies I caught the targeted EE jumping on the back of another down low on the pecking order hen. So now I don’t know what to think. Who’s actually causing the conflict. Could the bullied hen have learned this behavior? Could the “bully” hen just be keeping the other hen in check?! I’m just not sure where to go. They both lay good and are on the young side so I don’t want to give away but that might be my only option...? I’ve included a pic of my coop. They are out of it 90% of the time

In my experience, the lower ranking hen will make sure she dominates fellow low ranking hens/new hens to ensure that she is not the lowest hen in the flock. Chicken society is brutal. I have found pretty good success in isolating the aggressive dominate hen for a few days. This seems to drop her down a peg or two in the hierarchy. Hopefully when she returns she will be more agreeable. It doesn't always work unfortunately.

 

[aart]

The babies are about 4 weeks.... barely getting feathers

Have had broodies wean chicks at 4 weeks, not unusual, but it can be disturbing to observe.
They just need to figure out how to navigate the pecking order, lots of space and 'hiding' places will help.

 

[Mrs. K]

Always solve for peace in the flock. I think you might need to remove 1 or 2 birds from your flock. If isolating that one bird, restored harmony to your flock, I would sell that bird. Now as your 4 chicks become full size, tension might rise again.

Chicken raising is really not about keeping every bird you get. It is more about creating a flock of birds that get along and fit in the establishment you have. You can start by basing your set up on 4 square feet per bird in the coop. But in the end, you need to have a peaceful flock. Sometimes there are birds that just do not work with this flock or with this set up.

Mrs K

 

[Mrs. K]

Looking at the coop, a suggestion I would make, if you can, raise the lower roost to the same height as the other roost. I had a similar set up, with the same issue, everyone wanted to be on the top rung. Eventually, I just added a board at the same level, and everyone was much more happy. In my new coop, I have several roosts, they criss cross, and are at the same height.

 

[Presnell5]

isolate the aggressive dominate hen for a few days like JLS said, I would still let the chicks roam off and on, supervised by you, with the other hens, then put them back in with the mother hen. at 4 weeks they can come out to play a few times a day.

Awesome. She’s been isolated all day. The good news is that the babies have two moms so they are still protected and with their other mom. Thanks for your help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think Aart hit it with the chicks. She's weaning them and running them away from her. She's not trying to hurt them, probably just letting them now they are now on their own.

So you recently added a new EE. I don't now what kind of integration process you went through, but there can be conflict when you integrate. That might explain a lot of it.

Typically this type of brutality to others is associated with over-crowding, not sure how much room you have. But it may be more to do with integration that crowding. I can't tell.

 

[slordaz]

Ok that’s good to know also. Gosh that seems young! My BO stays with them for so much longer. It I keep this chicken I’ll have to make some baby hiding spots. Thanks once again for your help!

remember each chicken is going to be different, no matter they were raised together even. U have had pullets make bette brooders than moms, broodies it's a guessign game but when she feels they are ready she will wean em, i have has some that will ween at 2-3 weeks as long as theres no changes in the flock while others have stayed with their babies for 3-4 months because she decided to brood where she hatched out just before the brutal Idaho winter hit.

 

[slordaz]

Well possibly but I did take a lot of precautions when integrating. I do wish I hadn’t taken this EE in since everything was great before that but at this point she’s even turning on her sister who she never was aggressive with before. She is a new mom so I will cut her some slack there. I really don't think It’s due to overcrowding. The pen is 20x12 which is 240 square feet unless I’m calculating wrong. I only have 7 hens! Ok with the new babies it’ll be 11 but she started this when there was 7. And they have cool roosts and logs and a compost bin and a big plant and blinds and on top of that they are usually out in my big yard.

a broody raised that has had the chicks out with the flock knows when they are ready and safe, but then again my hen took em out free ranging with her as soon as she was off the nest that may be the difference there, once she weens see if she settles down, I have one broody that terrified the flock and as soon as she weened things went back to normal behavior , but even the rooster would hide when she had chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The pen is 20x12 which is 240 square feet unless I’m calculating wrong.

That's not an overcrowding issue.