Hen being attacked by other hens

[Kimorris207]

Good morning all,
I need some advice. I have 8 hens a little over a year old, all raised together since day 1. 3 Reds, 3 barred rocks and 2 Araucanas. They are caged while I'm at work in a VERY spacious, well thought out pen, and then free range from. 3 days ago I noticed that one of my reds has a bald spot on her head indicating she may be getting bullied a bit. They have always gotten along and I've never noticed any violence until yesterday. There were 2 occasions where I had to break a fight up between her and 2-3 hens that were brutally attacking her. They had her pinned down twice and had I not intervened I feel like they would have killed her the second time. She was pinned in a corner with 3 of them on top of her attacking. I've never seen anything like it! I have separated the bullied hen and made sure she has no serious injuries but am at a loss of what to do from here. I have been reading and see that this behavior could subside or it could get worse and she is in danger... Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am really worried about her. This came out of no where! Thank you for your time.

 

[Messica]

Is it possible she is sick or injured in a way you can't see at first glance?


Are you sure they weren't just sorting out pecking order? If it was truly a brutal attack with three on her at once it would be unlikely she'd escape with just minor injuries. Sometimes the process of sorting out king of the hill can look more sinister than it actually is.