Help needed... I think my hen is stressed!

Thanks for the reply.
We’ve got a separate run now, so at least that will be good for the chicks when they emerge with the broody. The coop is split for them, so they will be seen but separate - and this way they can have their own seen but separate space when they’re ready for outside.
 
I wondered if anyone had any other suggestions on this topic?

My same booted bantam hen still seems stressed at times. The dynamic has changed again slightly now that the broody has 3 chicks. They are 3 weeks old now so spending most of their days In the outside run. This leaves the booted bantam with the bully and cockerel. The broody and chicks are always visible in the coop and run, and have had a few trips ‘free ranging’ while closely supervised.

It turns out that our booted bantam hates the chicks and broody! She has tried to peck at all of them during supervised free ranging, and she puffs out, raises her neck feathers and squeals if they are close to her. If it’s possible - she seems very jealous of them!

This evening, I saw the cockerel mating with the booted bantam - or trying to - but he ends up ripping her neck feathers as she tries to get away. We moved him on, but I found the poor booted bantam in our nesting box (separate to the coop) just before dusk. She had already laid today so I think she went in there just to get away. I don’t know if this is an odd thing to say but she was very ‘red’ faced - I really think she is stressed.

Does anyone have any ideas how to calm her down? She is usually such a sweet thing, and very friendly.

I guess one solution would be to get rid of the cockerel - which we may have to consider - altho we are fond of him too. I’m hoping in a few weeks the chicks will be able to integrate properly and may help the dynamic - and hoping when they’re big enough to defend themselves, the booted bantam won’t totally hate them!
 
I guess one solution would be to get rid of the cockerel - which we may have to consider - altho we are fond of him too.
That's the one that makes the most sense.
The low bird in the flock is often the ones who bullies new birds the most.
 
Ah thank you, I guess that makes sense of her behaviour.
I thought that may be the case 😔 but I guess I can’t let him make the booted bantam’s life miserable!
 

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