Harriet the bully

[blue fire]

Ever since Harriet,PR, and Dingus, RIR, have been together Harriet has bullied Dingus around. She will peck Dingus when Dingus is eating close to her, and at other random instances though she is not the top hen, bit yet she falows Dingus and does everything she does. Just recently Harriet will run up to Dingus and Dingus will squat. Is there any way we can stop Harriet from pestering Dingus, besides getting a rooster?

 

[miss_thenorth]

How old are they? How closely are they confined? Are they bored, and that's why one is picking on the other? Do they have stuff to scratch in?

 

[blue fire]

They are almost a year old, Their b-day is on Earthday!!!!

They have a hole half an acre to roam. She does not realy have a reason to pick on her. she followes her around everywhere and just pecks her randomly, we even have 2 feeders but Harriet wants to eat from the one Dingus is eating from!!!

I am arfiad she will not eat in fear of being bullied

 

[miss_thenorth]

I know hat you're are saying CAN happpen--I have seen it (not in my own flock, but).....Unfortunately, I don't have any answers for you. Just make sure she is eating and keeping up her strength. How many other chickens do you have? Maybe a rooster is an answer. Just dunno......

 

[blue fire]

Cant have a rooster

We live in a suburban area. We have only one other chicken and she is on the top of the pecking order.Maybe another hen would help? Allthough my mom does not more chicken, but it might get to poiny of either we gain a chicken or lose a chicken..... I hope not.

 

[Justino]

Same thing happens to mine....my austrolorp pecks randomly at my younger 2.......She is such a bully and the little ones are to scared of her....She also follows them! Every time i see it i chase her around and pick her up and she flips out LOL gives me a reason to chase my birds LOL

as long as shes not makin them bleed i wouldnt worry about it

 

[blue fire]

If dingus was not so small I would not worry about it. Plymouth Rock vs RIR, there is like a 2 pound weight diffrence!

Maybe I should feed Dingus super chickenfood and have work out sessions and get her all buffed up. Then Harriet would peck her and Dingus would not care because she is a super chicken!!!

Sorry just thinking outside of the box

 

[Gersbud]

[Maybe I should feed Dingus super chickenfood and have work out sessions and get her all buffed up. Then Harriet would peck her and Dingus would not care because she is a super chicken!!! ]

I had a few of my EE do that to my 2 Golden Polish Banties. They would follow them around and just be mean. I finally had to seperate the 2 banties for a few days. The Roo wasn't too happy about this but when I returned them to the coop he stayed with them all the time and the EE were not mean to them anymore.