False Egg-laying?

[Caretaker]

Recently, I had to seperate a White Brahma from my flock (Which is really just a white brahma rooster, a black sex link, and her.) Because she was absolutely ravaging the poor sexlink. The poor thing had most of its' feathers pulled out by her. Whenever she was alone, she started making the egg-laying sound, that clucking/announcing...and didn't stop for quite some time. However, she never actually layed an egg! Also, she bullies the sexlink if the little black hen lays a single egg, and tries to steal her nest!

And now, because she's been bullied so much, the sexlink won't sit on her own nest! Help!

 

[lambchicks]

I have heard some of mine singing the egg song and not found an egg. Is she a young hen?

 

[ChicKat]

Hi Caretaker,

WELCOME to the forum.

Is the sexlink smaller and/or younger than the bully? Sometimes that invites the agression, and when the chickens are all the same size it subsides.

Are you sure that the feather loss is entirely due to the white brahma? Sometimes roosters are responsible for feather loss on the backs of hens. Perhaps another approach would be to isolate the sexlink so that she would know for sure she was safe. If the sizes are different and the sexlink can do some growing, she may not be as easy a target.

Another question may be does the coop and run supply enough space for the sexlink to get away? When I had a concern and some different size/age chickens together, I put a tiny pet carrier in the run, without its door -- and the littler ones could run in there and get away, and during that time the larger more aggressive hen forgot about them.

Good luck, hope you get your answers here.