dominant hen

[Mudsow]

I have two hens that were born last September (welsummer bantams) hatchery chicks.
They have been together the entire time. I know Penny is more dominant than Peaches, She's also a bit larger and always has been. About a month ago, I was watching 2 hens for a friend for a week. They were outside in the chicken run, and Penny got in with the others and proceeded to beat the crap out of them, luckily I wasn't far behind and I broke it up and put them back separatly.

However, since then, Peaches has been dropping feathers, not laying eggs... I thought it was just stress, I know penny is bossy. But today when I was cleaning Penny leaped onto peaches and grabbed her comb and started kicking butt. I pulled them apart and she immediatly went back at her.

What's gotten into her????

Is it just that they are nearly a year old now? Will they ever get along again? or do I have to re-figure my cage to keep them separate now forever.

I temporarily have them separated by fencing right now, but Penny has no perch, and is REALLY Ticked Off!

Will she get over it?
-mudsow-

 

[Den in Penn]

She may likely get over it, but there is the possibility that the guests sparked something in her that she won't get over. Time and the reintroduction will tell.

 

[Mudsow]

Well, I've divided my chicken house. Penny is not too happy, but Peaches is thinking this is pretty neat, no body can pick on her.
So I'll keep them separated. They can see each other, I'm making them eat next to each other with the feeders hanging on the divided part. So they HAVE to interact a bit. But no touching.

We'll see how it goes, I'll give Peaches time to recouperate since her face looks picked on and her head too. No blood, but certainly not nice and neat like Penny's. Plus with Peaches loosing feathers too, she looks like a wreck, so we'll let her recover being able to eat anything and everything she wants without Penny getting the good stuff ;-)

I hope she gets over being a bully, it's not a good look for her.

 

[linseylew4409]

So what happened after the separation? She get over the bullying? I have recently separated my bully and I am just wondering.

Thanks,

 

[Mudsow]

They are still separated, just so I don't have to worry, however, when I put them in the run outside, they get along fine now. Were even dustabting in the same pit. So, who knows.
Mudsow