Girls ganging up

[nnheacox]

My hens have started hanging up on one of the other girls. They’ve all been together since day one. Not real sure what’s changed other than they’re about 4 months old so hormones are raging around here. She’s sitting on my shoulder to avoid everyone else Is there anything I can do?

 

[DLA]

Not sure what your setup is - if you free range or have a closed in run. The coop should have enough nest boxes and enough room for everyone to roost comfortably. The run should have ample room and places for chickens to get away from each other if there are disagreements. Also more than one feeder so there's less fighting over food. I have an old lawn chair pegged down so it won't tip, a swing roost, a mirror, some toys and a turned over big flower pot for them to jump on. They can get bored and if hormones are going then this may pass, if no one is getting hurt then they may all just need to work out their places in the pecking order. Some hens don't always get along. More toys and activities and changing things up once in a while can help redirect their behavior.
If there is no overcrowding and the bullying is severe (injuries) then is there one hen in particular that is being the aggressor and the others are just following her lead? If so perhaps chicken jail time out for the aggressor to see if she'll settle down then reintroduce her slowly. You can also file or trim the very tip of her beak and trim her nails if she's drawing blood. Some people say pinless peepers work for an aggressive chicken. I've never used them so I can't say if that's true.
If there is no clear leader and they are all going after that one hen then I'd check that hen that's being picked on very closely for something wrong with her that they might be sensing.

 

[nnheacox]

Not sure what your setup is - if you free range or have a closed in run. The coop should have enough nest boxes and enough room for everyone to roost comfortably. The run should have ample room and places for chickens to get away from each other if there are disagreements. Also more than one feeder so there's less fighting over food. I have an old lawn chair pegged down so it won't tip, a swing roost, a mirror, some toys and a turned over big flower pot for them to jump on. They can get bored and if hormones are going then this may pass, if no one is getting hurt then they may all just need to work out their places in the pecking order. Some hens don't always get along. More toys and activities and changing things up once in a while can help redirect their behavior.
If there is no overcrowding and the bullying is severe (injuries) then is there one hen in particular that is being the aggressor and the others are just following her lead? If so perhaps chicken jail time out for the aggressor to see if she'll settle down then reintroduce her slowly. You can also file or trim the very tip of her beak and trim her nails if she's drawing blood. Some people say pinless peepers work for an aggressive chicken. I've never used them so I can't say if that's true.
If there is no clear leader and they are all going after that one hen then I'd check that hen that's being picked on very closely for something wrong with her that they might be sensing.

They seemed fine in the coop/run area. This was happening when I let them out to free range. Our rooster when after her first (I’m assuming to attempt mating) and then the other hens went after her I didn’t notice a clear instigator, but I’ll be watching closely!

 

[DLA]

Ah, the rooster started it. The other hens are probably jealous because he favored her. Hens can get especially jealous when they're young and hormones are going if the rooster favors one that's not at the top of the pecking order. It should work itself out within a few weeks. I would only intervene if there's blood or they're keeping her from food and water. If he continues to be really fond of her she may need a saddle to protect her back.