Help! My "nice" hens have turned into bullies!

[WyoChick1]

Hey all. I'm in need of some advice and support. I'm relatively new to chicken keeping, started our mixed flock of 11 about a year and a half ago. I specifically choose breeds that were known to be "nice." And they did indeed all get along great, until a few months ago.

Lately they've been beating up on the salmon favorolles, pecking her head til she's bald and bleeding. I separated her for a while but it didn't help. I know I should separate the bullies instead, but I am not sure who the instigator is!

My teen daughters have seen the buff orps, New Hampshire reds, and even an easter egger and the ISA brown attacking this poor bird. Only the barred rocks seem innocent.

Does this make any sense to anyone else? How do I find the culprit, and make the bullying stop? They have plenty of space, and their food didn't change, etc. I don't know why they are suddenly mean instead of the "nice" breeds I was hoping for.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What does your set up look like? How much space and clutter? Do they free range at all?

 

[Rock17]

Is she broody?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Salmon Faverolle tend to be incredibly docile. While buffs are also a docile breed each bird is an individual so that can vary.

If the faverolle just submits to the beatings it's probably why so many have joined in.

Do you have just 1 faverolle?

You may need to split the flock so the barred rocks and faverolle have a separate coop and run. I know that is far easier said than done.

The other option that comes to mind is rehoming the faverolle. That's also easier said than done. It's not fair to her to have to be pummeled all the time though.

 

[WyoChick1]

She's not broody, no. She's the only adult salmon favorolles, yes. We got some pullets we're hoping to integrate, but I'm thinking that won't work either. They have plenty of space. Big coop, and large run. Basically like free range, but I did notice this started in the spring when the weather is really nasty here. They were probably ready for spring but it comes late (very late) for us, and so maybe they were bored and frustrated with that? It's nice out now, but they're now in the habit of picking on her. Yes, she totally just submits to the bullying. I guess we'll have to think about ways to divide the run and coop, or look at rehoming options. My daughter really loves this bird though. I'd rather get rid of the bullies, but I don't know for sure who they all are!

 

[aart]

Big coop, and large run. Basically like free range, but I did notice this started in the spring when the weather is really nasty here.

How big is coop in feet by feet?
Do they have year round access to the run?

 

[AGstudy]

I would seperate her from the majority of the flock and keep your sweetest girl with her until she heals. Check in after an hour to see if she is comfortable with her companion, if not switch for another bird. I always pick a bird lower in the pecking order. Allowing the rest of your flock the capacity to visit your hen/while still being kept from physical interactions will help keep her as a member of the flock (visual and vocal interactions are important). When I use this method, I put the confined hens back together with the rest of the flock for the night.

The only real way I know to find a bully is to spend some time with your birds. Take an hour and just sit in their run and watch. For me, my birds are interested in me for the first 20min, then when they realize that I'm just going to sit there and be boring, they go about their lives as normal. After that, it doesn't take long to notice who is upset with who. Once you find out who the bullies are, you can try completely seperating them from the flock for a week or two (no visual) to make them feel less confident.

 

[WyoChick1]

How big is coop in feet by feet?
Do they have year round access to the run?

Yes. It is not a space issue.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Difficult to advise without measurements or better, photos. Otherwise by "big coop" I'm assuming you have 6-8 sq ft floor space per bird (or more), as that's what may be needed if the flock stays inside for duration due to inclement weather.

 

[LaFleche]

You could keep just the SF and hens that definitely did not participate in the bullying like the Barred Rocks, then rehome all the others.
This way your adult SF will have some peace to restore her health and confidence until the youngsters are ready to join the adults.

Another thing to help the SF: Make sure her beard and muffs don't obstruct her overall view so she will not get caught unaware of anyone approaching her.