Getting Picked On

[JoePa]

I got 8 RoadIsland/New Hamp mix hens - they are around a year old and doing good with one exception - there are two hens that keep picking on one other hen - the one that they pick on was always a kind of loner - the others would be doing something but this hen would often be by itself - the other thing that I notice is that the other 7 have pretty large comes(?) on their heads but this one's cone is much smaller - also this hen has a little more white feathers than the others - I get mad when I see the other hens go after and peck this hen - I'm wonder if there is something I can do to stop this behavior - and just recently this particular hen got broody and sits on the eggs laid by the other hens - any thoughts

 

[3KillerBs]

The chicken pecking order can be pretty brutal.

Do you have plenty of space in the coop and run? Multiple feed and water stations that are out of sight of each other?

Plenty of "clutter" breaking up the run and offering both hiding places for the low-status birds and something for the high-status birds to do other than peck at their juniors?