Feel bad for lowliest pullet

[Sueby]

My low bird on the totem pole does it to herself, she drives me nuts. She's so dramatic about it all, I swear she begs to be low man. No one likes her, if anyone goes near her she screams, jumps & runs. I have been tempted to put her in the integration coop by herself for a while to gain some self confidence. I also wonder if her fluffy muffs make it harder to see behind her so she gets scared easier.

But I have multiple feeders & waterers so she's always able to eat & drink & if I put some veggies out I put multiple piles so she can get some. It's a chickens life, I don't give her any special treatment & she's just fine. She roosts with the others too so it can't be as dramatic as she makes it seem.

 

[3KillerBs]

But I have multiple feeders & waterers so she's always able to eat & drink & if I put some veggies out I put multiple piles so she can get some.

I think this is an important part of chicken management.

Distribute all resources so that abundance defeats any given bird's attempt to guard them. I have no science to the following, but in my opinion it frustrates a bully to be unable to bully and with the bullying behavior frustrated instead of rewarded the bully makes fewer and fewer attempts to bully.

I also believe that this works for many species, including humans.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My low bird on the totem pole does it to herself, she drives me nuts. She's so dramatic about it all, I swear she begs to be low man. No one likes her, if anyone goes near her she screams, jumps & runs. I have been tempted to put her in the integration coop by herself for a while to gain some self confidence. I also wonder if her fluffy muffs make it harder to see behind her so she gets scared easier.

But I have multiple feeders & waterers so she's always able to eat & drink & if I put some veggies out I put multiple piles so she can get some. It's a chickens life, I don't give her any special treatment & she's just fine. She roosts with the others too so it can't be as dramatic as she makes it seem.

In your situation, it may be helpful to put the low bird in the integration coop with one or two of the less bossy hens till they become fast friends and then reintroduce them.

 

[Sueby]

In your situation, it may be helpful to put the low bird in the integration coop with one or two of the less bossy hens till they become fast friends and then reintroduce them.

Yea, like I said, I've thought about it but I'm not sure it's worth the trouble. She doesn't really get picked on, she's just so dramatic about it all when anyone goes near her. She was raised with 3 others since she was tiny - they all avoid her as much as possible to this day, I don't think they'd make friends, lol. She's just that weird annoying girl with a beard & muffs. If she was getting beat up I'd do it in a heart beat but I feel like separating her (& a friend) would just cause more integration bullying when I put them back in - my reds are mean girls & integration is never pleasant.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

RIRs are usually the bullies in a mixed flock.
Either have a flock of RIRs or a mixed flock sans RIRs.

 

[livesimplecolorado]

I have four pullets that are about 8.5 weeks old and they’ve been together for the 8 weeks I’ve had them.

I have read how important their social hierarchy is to them and they’re not pecking the lowliest on the totem poll, it’s just she backs out of the way when I give treats and doesn’t get as much. She does seem to have mostly paired off with one of the other pullets as her “person”, but sometimes she also lays by herself. She’s so timid she’s often the hardest to get in the coop at night and I can’t bring to the side for a special treat.

how do you handle their pecking orders and feeling bad for the ones that are at the bottom?

I don't think you should feel bad for them because as bad as it is to watch, it actually is a good thing for the chickens and keeping things in order.

I have one that has been at the bottom, I do feel bad but this "lowly" girl is also a bit of a jerky lol, she will peck me If given the chance. She is skittish and as about as sociable as a pet rock. With that said, she gets pecked on by the "bully" who is a little bitty easter egger. Sometimes its hard to watch, but everything seems to work itself out. The low hen on the totem pole hangs out with the largest hen who happens to be the one that is the highest in the pecking order. They are buddies and that large hen will actually keep the "bully" in line. It's nature and I just let them figure it all out. Sometimes it's ugly, but for the most part, things seem to run smoothly.

I also have this large Jersey giant, who is just above that little lowly hen, and she gets picked on too by this little EE bully. It's kind of funny to watch this tiny little EE putting that big old Jersey giant in her place lol.

So far, no blood shed, they will figure it out.

 

[ladyhand]

Honestly, I’m not sure who the low one is anymore, and who is the lead. They all seem to do what they want. But someone said that they’re just happy to be part of the group and it was the best thing anyone could ever say to me