female chicken is a bully to older female chicken

[oliverjuan]

I have 4 chickens. Two chickens are 5 years old and the other 2 are a year and a half. They have been getting along great until recently. One of the young chickens has started to bully one older
chicken. The older one is very frightened to leave the coop because the young one goes after her.
I have isolated the young chicken in a wire crate for up to three days but as soon as I let her out she
goes after the old chicken. At night they all seem to do fine in the coop. I am wondering if instead of
putting the bully in the crate, I should isolate the chicken who is being pecked on. I am afraid that
the older chicken will stay in the coop and won't eat or drink.
It's more complicated because the chicken who is the bully is the only one who is laying eggs.

 

[Mightykong85]

Some young hens from my experience will usually do that its a pecking order that chickens do! And considering you only have a small number of birds it will be a big issue for you a good solution is to either get rid of one and keep the other or if you dont wanna part them seperate them indifinetly so it will stop thats the problem with a small number of birds however I keep many so they all put eachother in the pecking order themselves so usually its the oldest females who are at the top but its not uncommon for tough young hens to step up! Hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[oliverjuan]

Some young hens from my experience will usually do that its a pecking order that chickens do! And considering you only have a small number of birds it will be a big issue for you a good solution is to either get rid of one and keep the other or if you dont wanna part them seperate them indifinetly so it will stop thats the problem with a small number of birds however I keep many so they all put eachother in the pecking order themselves so usually its the oldest females who are at the top but its not uncommon for tough young hens to step up! Hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[oliverjuan]

Thanks, your advice makes me more comfortable keeping the apart most of the time.
The one that is being pecked on has my mothers name. No way will I be giving her away even though she doesn't lay eggs.