Hen being bullied

[jsokup]

I have 2 red ranger hens they are a little over a year. They have always gotten along up until about a month ago. My sunshine was always the top hen and baby followed. My problem is that sunshine started molting about a month ago I noticed sunshine would run away I
Figured out that baby was pecking at her. Sunshine really wont eat much and is not herself she just wants to sit on my lap. I seperated the 2 yesterday and today tonight i put sunshine in a cat carrier because baby pecks at her so bad. Need some help with this situation i feel horrible that i didnt notice them problem sooner. Both chickens are very pampered. These are my first chickens that i have raised. Please help!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's possible there's something wrong with Sunshine, any weaknesses shown by a chicken will be taken advantage of my other members of the flock. Where are you located? Molting this time of year is unusual. If you have access to a vet I might take Sunshine for a check up. It's not normal for them to stop eating and sit around all day.

 

[jsokup]

I am in wisconsin. She eats grass and other stuff i give her and she follows me around the yard when i let her out to free range. There are no vets around here. She is just not interested in her crumbles she acts scared to go and eat them. Not sure if cheese is real good for them but she loves cheese just trying to get any food i can into her.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hello neighbor. I occasionally feed cottage cheese to mine. You said she was a red ranger. Is that a meat breed? Or some type of sex link bred? You will be hard pressed to find a vet in Wisconsin willing to look at a chicken. Some folks do it though. You could also offer her some scrambled eggs. It's a bit early to be molting already. Being that you only have the two the pecking order can be a bit rough sometimes, you could divide their run or keep one out while the other is confined and hopefully it settled down a bit, sounds like baby isn't a good leader, but hopefully she becomes one.

 

[jsokup]

Thank you for the input. Yes they are meat birds i raised 25 last spring and baby was the runt and sunshine was such a sweet chicken that they got to stay. I have been giving her scrambled eggs. I have a tractor connected to the run i have locked sunshine in tractor until baby lays her egg the i switch them. Have done that the last couple days locked sunshine in cat carrier in coop last night. I think baby is going in it tonight since she wants to be naughty to her sister. I read they can molt at anytime spring is just unsual time. Hoping sunshine is just stressed from heat molting and being bullied. Hopefully sunshine takes back control she was better leader.