Hello there!

[ChookaPete]

She was submitting. That is not fear.
I would crate Cardamom for a few days to knock her down a peg or two in status then release her and see if that doesn't help. Cardamom may need pinless peepers to behave herself with Chamomile.

Thank you for the advice. I ended up disciplining Cardamom another way (basically I showed her that I am the boss), and fortunately it worked! Chamomile is now comfortable around everyone, including Cardamom. I am very glad because I did not want to give up on either chook - Chamomile is so sweet (and lays cute little eggs), and Cardamom is an excellent egg layer and gardener.

I keep up observing them all for how they interact, and over the last few weeks it has been good. Cardamom is not acting up and Chamomile's confidence has increased.

The real test though will be over the next few weeks as I am going away for a bit. I hope they will be okay.

 

[ChookaPete]

I agree with @DobieLover I would definitely cage the bully for a while. No bird should have to live in fear. I had a hen like Cardamom many years ago. She ended up living in pinless peepers all her life, she abused the entire flock. She never stopped her aggression with other birds or me for that matter. I am not sure what goes on in the heads of birds like this, but there is definitely a screw loose somewhere up there.

Cardamom has always seemed to be headstrong. She does squat for me to pat her occasionally, but not as often as the other chooks.

I recall at the very beginning that one of the chooks was rather feisty and always trying to escape from the fence to around the back of the shed. I am thinking that that was Cardamom.

I showed Cardamom who is boss and squirted the hose at her to bring her into line - she ran off sulking! Since then she has been good with all of the chooks, or at the very worst has suppressed her aggression. Even Chamomile is happy foraging and dust-bathing next to her, like how they used to be.

Another interesting point is that Cardamom is not the head-chook when it comes to catching mice. That is when Cumin steps up! When I find a mouse (I do not use ANY poisons to kill mice, I either trap them live or a rubber band trap that chokes them instantly), I throw them to the chooks and it is Cumin rather than Cardamom who grabs the mouse then runs off to enjoy the meal. Cardamom tries but Cumin gets ahead of her every time.

For instance just an hour ago I heard a mouse crawling in the kitchen bin. I quickly put a box over it to trap the mouse, then poured the mouse to the chooks in the front yard. They all squabbled over the mouse but Cumin won! Cardamom did chase after her but it was more like "Hey can I have a nibble too?" Cumin took the mouse all the way to the backyard and had quite a feast.

 

[TwoCrows]

Cardamom has always seemed to be headstrong. She does squat for me to pat her occasionally, but not as often as the other chooks.

I recall at the very beginning that one of the chooks was rather feisty and always trying to escape from the fence to around the back of the shed. I am thinking that that was Cardamom.

I showed Cardamom who is boss and squirted the hose at her to bring her into line - she ran off sulking! Since then she has been good with all of the chooks, or at the very worst has suppressed her aggression. Even Chamomile is happy foraging and dust-bathing next to her, like how they used to be.

Another interesting point is that Cardamom is not the head-chook when it comes to catching mice. That is when Cumin steps up! When I find a mouse (I do not use ANY poisons to kill mice, I either trap them live or a rubber band trap that chokes them instantly), I throw them to the chooks and it is Cumin rather than Cardamom who grabs the mouse then runs off to enjoy the meal. Cardamom tries but Cumin gets ahead of her every time.

For instance just an hour ago I heard a mouse crawling in the kitchen bin. I quickly put a box over it to trap the mouse, then poured the mouse to the chooks in the front yard. They all squabbled over the mouse but Cumin won! Cardamom did chase after her but it was more like "Hey can I have a nibble too?" Cumin took the mouse all the way to the backyard and had quite a feast.

Glad to hear things are better with this issue! Some people have had luck with a squirt bottle, keep it in the coop, and when you see unwanted aggression by a bully, squirt them with a stream of water quick like. Its best if they don't even see you doing this so they correlate bullying with getting wet. Over time this may tone the bully down.

Enjoy your flock!

 

[ChookaPete]

Glad to hear things are better with this issue! Some people have had luck with a squirt bottle, keep it in the coop, and when you see unwanted aggression by a bully, squirt them with a stream of water quick like. Its best if they don't even see you doing this so they correlate bullying with getting wet. Over time this may tone the bully down.

Enjoy your flock!

Thank you!


Well, you see, when I say "coop", I am only referring to where my chooks sleep at night (inside a fenced-off corner of the shed fitted with a branch perch for roosting, a ladder to climb up, and straw on the floor to catch the poop).

During the day they leave the coop through a small doorway, go to their nests to lay eggs, and spend all day free-ranging in either the backyard or front yard. I have food & water stations set up.
I have a hose fitted with a trigger nozzle in the backyard, so I use that for disciplining when required, as a last resort.