Former Alpha now chased and exiled - what to do?

[RobertoRojas]

I have a flock of 8 comprised of 7 hens and 1 roo. 1 hen is 4 years old and mostly just goes along with the flock - not dominant, or mean, just a sweet old girl. The other 6 hens are Golden Comets all about 14 month old now, hatched and raised together. The entire flock free ranges all day, every day.

Three of these girls were the Alphas of the flock - not very mean, but the pecking order was clear and evident all day in the yard. I had some people over doing some work at the house three days ago and so I left the flock locked in the run to keep them away from the workers - they have a large run and are normally quite content in there when there's snow, etc. When I went to let them out around noon, I noticed one of my alpha girls had a bloodied comb - no idea how it happened, but now the other two alphas are very aggressive towards her. I immediately isolated the wounded bird, stoped the bleeding, adding Blue Kote to cover the injury, and let her go to see how things would progress. She stayed in the periphery of the flock the rest of that day. The other birds largely ignored her, but when it was time to start to roost, they wouldn't let her in the coop. They attacked her and I had to intervene. I kept her in a quarantine coop that night to keep her safe.

The next day, I allowed her out of the quarantine coop first to get a head start on the rest of the flock. I then let the main flock out - she stayed on the edges of the flock, and they largely ignored her. I figured they would work it out and went about my day.

When I went to check on them about two hours later, I found my wounded girl now limping. Any time she went near the flock, the two other alphas viciously attacked her, to the point she just laid her head in the grass and waited for the other girls to peck and attack. Of course, I intervened, as it looked like she was almost laying down to get killed.

Now today I've kept the wounded ex-alpha in quarantine, to let her leg heal up. There's no visible wounds, and no disease is evident. She seems fine, aside from her limp. Eating, drinking, foraging, poo looks healthy - I assume the limp is from being attacked.

Still not sure what caused the initial fight, or the bloody comb - but the flock has definitely turned on this girl and I'm not sure how to move forward. I feel bad locking her up, as I feel I'm punishing the victim, but now she's lumping and I'm afraid they'll keep attacking her.

Sorry for the long thread, but I'm hoping someone can share some advice. This flock was super happy until just three days ago, now I feel like they want to kill one of my favorite birds, who was one of their leaders just three days ago.

 

[sourland]

Remove the two aggressors and return her to the flock. Once she is fully healed, days not hours, return one of the aggressors and allow them to work things out. A matter of time later, again days not hours, return the second aggressor. This may or may not work. Removing the picked on hen will NOT work. Sadly at times, the chicken social order is about power - not kindness.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have a flock of 8 comprised of 7 hens and 1 roo. 1 hen is 4 years old and mostly just goes along with the flock - not dominant, or mean, just a sweet old girl. The other 6 hens are Golden Comets all about 14 month old now, hatched and raised together. The entire flock free ranges all day, every day.

Three of these girls were the Alphas of the flock - not very mean, but the pecking order was clear and evident all day in the yard. I had some people over doing some work at the house three days ago and so I left the flock locked in the run to keep them away from the workers - they have a large run and are normally quite content in there when there's snow, etc. When I went to let them out around noon, I noticed one of my alpha girls had a bloodied comb - no idea how it happened, but now the other two alphas are very aggressive towards her. I immediately isolated the wounded bird, stoped the bleeding, adding Blue Kote to cover the injury, and let her go to see how things would progress. She stayed in the periphery of the flock the rest of that day. The other birds largely ignored her, but when it was time to start to roost, they wouldn't let her in the coop. They attacked her and I had to intervene. I kept her in a quarantine coop that night to keep her safe.

The next day, I allowed her out of the quarantine coop first to get a head start on the rest of the flock. I then let the main flock out - she stayed on the edges of the flock, and they largely ignored her. I figured they would work it out and went about my day.

When I went to check on them about two hours later, I found my wounded girl now limping. Any time she went near the flock, the two other alphas viciously attacked her, to the point she just laid her head in the grass and waited for the other girls to peck and attack. Of course, I intervened, as it looked like she was almost laying down to get killed.

Now today I've kept the wounded ex-alpha in quarantine, to let her leg heal up. There's no visible wounds, and no disease is evident. She seems fine, aside from her limp. Eating, drinking, foraging, poo looks healthy - I assume the limp is from being attacked.

Still not sure what caused the initial fight, or the bloody comb - but the flock has definitely turned on this girl and I'm not sure how to move forward. I feel bad locking her up, as I feel I'm punishing the victim, but now she's lumping and I'm afraid they'll keep attacking her.

Sorry for the long thread, but I'm hoping someone can share some advice. This flock was super happy until just three days ago, now I feel like they want to kill one of my favorite birds, who was one of their leaders just three days ago.

Do they have any form of entertainment?

 

[RobertoRojas]

Remove the two aggressors and return her to the flock. Once she is fully healed, days not hours, return one of the aggressors and allow them to work things out. A matter of time later, again days not hours, return the second aggressor. This may or may not work. Removing the picked on hen will NOT work. Sadly at times, the chicken social order is about power - not kindness.

Much appreciated advice. One question, should the aggressors be isolated separately, or can they be kept together? My quarantine coop isn't tiny, but I don't want to isolate them together if I cause a fight with them, too.

 

[RobertoRojas]

Do they have any form of entertainment?

They do have several roosting bars in the run, and one uses a small swing quite regularly. Ironically enough, I had just recently added a pecking block to the run - they had largely ignored it, as they run the yard (4 acres!) all day. However, the day of this first fight, the pecking block was gone and I noticed that the wounded girl was very protective of the remnants after I returned her initially. I was wondering if they got in a fight over this new "treat" so I've since removed it, completely.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

This is why I don't like golden comets, they are so mean.

 

[MysteryChicken]

They do have several roosting bars in the run, and one uses a small swing quite regularly. Ironically enough, I had just recently added a pecking block to the run - they had largely ignored it, as they run the yard (4 acres!) all day. However, the day of this first fight, the pecking block was gone and I noticed that the wounded girl was very protective of the remnants after I returned her initially. I was wondering if they got in a fight over this new "treat" so I've since removed it, completely.

Maybe have two flock blocks instead of one?

Birds do fight over the strangest things sometimes.

I have mirror toys in three coops, & a xylophone in one. The Bantams like the toys more though.

 

[RobertoRojas]

Remove the two aggressors and return her to the flock. Once she is fully healed, days not hours, return one of the aggressors and allow them to work things out. A matter of time later, again days not hours, return the second aggressor. This may or may not work. Removing the picked on hen will NOT work. Sadly at times, the chicken social order is about power - not kindness.

Quick update on my situation. I did as sourland said - put the bullied girl back in the flock and waited to see who the real aggressors were. She stayed on her own on the periphery most of that day, but eventually one of the other alpha girls took into her. I immediately pulled the aggressor from the flock and put her in jail. A little later, when they began to head in for the night, the other alpha went into her, too. I pulled her and put her into a second jail coop. All the other girls left the bullied chick alone and she started to relax. After a couple of days, the bullied girl was back to 100% - the next morning I reintroduced the first girl in jail, who appeared to be less aggressive of the two offenders. She went about her business and they all seemed to be accepting of one another. Even the roo was eager to get her back into the flock - she treated her former best friend as if nothing had ever happened. I let two more days go by and then I reintroduced the head alpha, the most aggressive girl - she, too, went right back to the flock as if nothing had ever happened. They've all been together for the last two full days and it's as if nothing had ever happened. Everyone is healed and going about their happy business.

Thanks so much for everyone's advice - especially sourland - the advice was exactly what I needed to get my flock back in harmony. Thanks!

 

[Teresa D]

Quick update on my situation. I did as sourland said - put the bullied girl back in the flock and waited to see who the real aggressors were. She stayed on her own on the periphery most of that day, but eventually one of the other alpha girls took into her. I immediately pulled the aggressor from the flock and put her in jail. A little later, when they began to head in for the night, the other alpha went into her, too. I pulled her and put her into a second jail coop. All the other girls left the bullied chick alone and she started to relax. After a couple of days, the bullied girl was back to 100% - the next morning I reintroduced the first girl in jail, who appeared to be less aggressive of the two offenders. She went about her business and they all seemed to be accepting of one another. Even the roo was eager to get her back into the flock - she treated her former best friend as if nothing had ever happened. I let two more days go by and then I reintroduced the head alpha, the most aggressive girl - she, too, went right back to the flock as if nothing had ever happened. They've all been together for the last two full days and it's as if nothing had ever happened. Everyone is healed and going about their happy business.

Thanks so much for everyone's advice - especially sourland - the advice was exactly what I needed to get my flock back in harmony. Thanks!

Nice to know.

 

[Teresa D]

Love all of this information and this website, sharing and learning from each other.