Getting along.. Bully hen.

[Zealo]

So I've got three hens who have been laying since October, two barred rocks and one rhode island red.
Those three gals get along to well that I cant tell who's in what pecking order.

Their all spoiled down to the breast bone. If they see you, they come running begging for treats or attention.
Anytime I go out there to draw, they sit underneath me seat and just chill out.

My new gals, who are about... oh.. 11 weeks. Their not as spoiled as the three amigos. They don't mind if I walk along with them or near them. Some of them have learned that I mean FOOD, so they usually check me out to see if I have goodies. Except my Roo at times. I've been making sure to show my growing Roo just who the boss is. When he started trying to pin the little gals down, I got after his little butt, chase him around the run and hold his tail feathers when he gets to slow. Any time I show him a finger slightly above his head level, he drops that head and flees.. So I think he knows his place....


I've had my little gals staying in the big coop for... maybe two weeks.. But I've been slowly immigrating the little gals since they were 5 weeks. First by creating a small spot inside the run with their own little coop. Now and then I'd create a gap and let them go into the big run where the older gals were, let the big gals pick them a little, then make them go back in their own run.

Did that for some time to the point that the gals pretty much ignored the little ones.
Then got rid of the barrier that separated them.. But the little gals still had their coop as their safe zoon, since I made the door to little for the big gals to fit in. And that worked pretty good.

Now that their finally in with the gals, I haven't really noticed to much change between before I made them sleep in their own coop, and now that their in with the big gals.

They sleep separately. Big gals in one corner, little gals in the other..
And for the most part, they get along.. though their not really one flock yet.. probably wont for a bit.

My older gals pretty much ignore them, now and then they'll give them a look or a peck.. but its really mellow..

All but maleficent. She's one of my barred rocks who got sick at one point and I had her inside the house for a few days. During that time, she had to have someone next to her, and always wanted to be in your lap or on your shoulder, snuggling your neck.

She's a different story.. I've seen her stalk towards the little gals, charge, and grab feathers, even though the little gals keep their distance and have their heads down, and even run away when she comes towards them.. She still gets after them. If their to close, she'll get them. But mostly just goes after my two production reds. The others, which are all white, she pretty much ignores.

I've pinned my rooster to the ground once, just to give him a reminder, she came over and was like, I'ma peck you in the face!
She wasn't doing it to hard, but was doing to over and over again in the little guys face, so I gave her a peck back.

She's the only one who doesn't seem to want to get along, and she's not even the head honcho in the flock!
And it just seems to be just the brown ones she doesn't like??

Any thoughts on how to teach my bully hen to be not so much of a bully?

 

[aart]

Often the low hen in the established flock is the most aggressive to newcomers, as they are the only ones she can get away with picking on.

Crap does roll downhill, and it gets going pretty fast by the time it nears the bottom! lol

Not sure you can 'teach' them not to be a bully...unless you invite them to (be) dinner.
Even with lots of space, multiple feed/water stations and hiding places...... some birds will be bullies and some birds will be bullied.

Sounds like you did a good job integrating, now it's just a matter of time and observation to see if they can all learn to co-exist without serious disharmony.