Help please attacking chickens bullying

[Kspicer]

I'll try to make this as short as possible

I started with two young hybrids last year and added two point of lay silkies a month later
They all got on just fine until the hybrids grew up and started attacking one of them. First lesson learnt hybrids are bullies.

So I separated both the hybrids and silkies and planned on this being permanent however researched good breeds to add with silkies and four months later added a Brahma a faverolle and a lavender pekin to the silkie flock in a separate 5X4 walk in run with plenty of enrichments

The silkies both were top of pecking order and have been since January.
Around a month and a half ago both silkies went broody then the pekin shortly after, coming out of broodiness I noticed the silkies were underweight despite me taking them off the nesting box a few times a day and they were shedding a lot of feathers.. neck mainly and patchy in general so assumed moulting.

Yesterday I all let them free range in the garden under supervision and all of them apart from the other silkie started attacking one of the silkies so I again separated and put them back in their runs
All was fine until the Brahma and faverolle started snacking on the pin feathers of the victim silkie so I put the silkies to bed together away from the rest...later found mites on the silkie that got attacked so treated all of my chickens with ivermectin.

Today I separated the silkies in a spare run i have... to keep them safe throughout the day whilst working out what to do ... went to put them in the coop with the rest at this evening (again separated from the rest still) put them down for one second to open the door, every other member of the flock ran over and started attacking the weakest silkie, then the other silkie too !


I'm not sure what to do as I can't have a gazzilion runs and 5 seperate flocks...
I'm happy to try anything even if it's increasing the silkie flock when they are healthier with other silkies and then reintroducing down the line
Could this pass once they are feathered up and healthier ?
I'll literally try anything

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have never kept silkies but I have read that a lot of people keep them as a separate flock because they are easily picked on. I don’t think it’s that hybrids are jerks or any other chicken breed specifically it’s just that silkies are funny looking

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree, some are able to keep silkies with full size laying hens, but most of them keep their silkies separately permanently.

There is an oddity, but the attacking birds are all riled up too, and separating them allows for peace in the flock. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Put all you big girls in one flock and the silkies in another one?

Mrs K

 

[Kspicer]

I agree, some are able to keep silkies with full size laying hens, but most of them keep their silkies separately permanently.

There is an oddity, but the attacking birds are all riled up too, and separating them allows for peace in the flock. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Put all you big girls in one flock and the silkies in another one?

Mrs K

Hi Thankyou for your reply, I have separated the silkies. Since my post I have let the rest out this morning together, they all seem be be attacking each other now, the hybrids are now targeting the chickens that were attacking the silkies chasing them around pecking

They are definitely not a happy flock, could it be that I have a hidden illness in the flock what is causing this? I have had warm weather here
The run is more than big enough, they have a good diet plenty of enrichments the only issue I have had is mites on one silkie which I treated the whole flock for

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

They are likely re-establishing the pecking order since that’s what they were trying to do with the silkies. Any time you add or take away a bird there will be a disruption in the pecking order-even if it’s just a couple of days or just one chicken. Make sure they have plenty of space and clutter (things to hide behind/under) and give them some time to get used to their new normal. Broody hens are a good example which you are seeing first hand. What breeds are your “hybrids”?

 

[Kspicer]

They are likely re-establishing the pecking order since that’s what they were trying to do with the silkies. Any time you add or take away a bird there will be a disruption in the pecking order-even if it’s just a couple of days or just one chicken. Make sure they have plenty of space and clutter (things to hide behind/under) and give them some time to get used to their new normal. Broody hens are a good example which you are seeing first hand. What breeds are your “hybrids”?

It's a very mean way of doing it I let them get on with it usually but I fear one will end up dead the way they are going
The hybrids are a speckledy and a bluebell

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

So at this point you just have the two hybrids together? How much space do they have? Sorry if I missed it from your original post

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Ok I had to go back and read it again. You have five chickens in a 5x4 run? Is that right? And how big is the garden they are allowed out in?

 

[NatJ]

coming out of broodiness I noticed the silkies were underweight despite me taking them off the nesting box a few times a day

The weight change may not be a problem. A broody hen does lose some fat, but that doesn't hurt her. And her reproductive organs do shrink and get lighter, plus she doesn't have a whole big clump of yolks getting ready to turn into eggs, all of which can make quite a big change. As her body gears up for laying again, she will regain the weight of big reproductive track and lots of egg yolks getting bigger by the day.

As long as they have access to plenty of their usual food, and they act healthy enough, I would not worry about the weight loss from being broody.

Regarding the bullying, I don't have any useful suggestions, but I do agree it is a problem.

5X4 walk in run with plenty of enrichments

Are you measuring in feet or meters? In feet, that is not large enough to be comfortable for 5 chickens. In meters, the size should be plenty big enough.

 

[Kspicer]

So at this point you just have the two hybrids together? How much space do they have? Sorry if I missed it from your original post

At this point I have the two hybrids free ranging
The two silkies are in a small run together since the attacks
Then I have a faverolle a Brahma and a pekin who all get along fine in a large run

Before the attacks it was the two silkies the brahma the faverolle and the pekin in a 5X4 meter walk in run
And the hybrids would free range as they couldn't be mixed with the silkies