Hen being singled out by rooster and being attacked.

[jaybud]

So I have a older barred rock hen that is being attacked by my rooster. I recently let her back out after being quarintined for a week. Funny thing is before she was seperated my rooster was fine. Now that she is back out he constantly beats on her even after she submits to him. She was also seperated with other hens at the same time and all were put out together. I seperated her again but now deciding on what to do because he has drawn blood on her. Thanks

 

[bobbi-j]

At this point, I'd be separating the rooster. How old is he? It's possible that because of the separation he's seeing her as a new addition to the flock. Chickens seem to have a short memory - if a bird is removed from the flock for any length of time, they tend to "forget" that bird. Adding her back would be like adding a new bird to the flock. Why did you have them separated in the first place?

 

[jaybud]

I seperated her and two other Golden sex links because they were sick and I got them back to health. My rooster I would say is a little over one yr old. But the funny thing is he is not picking on the others that were seperated. If it helps, the Roos is a game fowl/bull stag breed.

 

[bobbi-j]

But then you separated her again.... Also, it could be she's not entirely well yet. Sometimes animals can sense a weak one and will do their best to eliminate it.

 

[jaybud]

Kinda sounds like nature running its course then

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Its not that they forget them,the bird put back in the flock has lost her place.

 

[jaybud]

So may be sometime before her pecking order can be reastablished then

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Yes they must let her know she has been docked down (Some hens may or may not do that,some maya ct like she has been there the whole time,some lower hen may decide,well you were gone and lost your place,it's mine now.)

 

[JayColli]

I'm dealing with a similar situation myself. Had a pullet that decided to go broody and was absent from the flock for a while before I was able to locate her and her clutch. After a few days I was able to break her and she started returning to the coop at night but ever since she has been harassed by my cockerel whereas before she was top chook! She has gone through a partial molt since then and is just starting to feather back in so I'm guessing her relatively weak state is apparent to the cockerel who is adamant about securing the top spot... I've read that over time as the pecking order solidifies it becomes less and less necessary for the top chook to reinforce it so hopefully everything returns to normal within a few months for the both of us!

 

[jaybud]

I'm dealing with a similar situation myself. Had a pullet that decided to go broody and was absent from the flock for a while before I was able to locate her and her clutch. After a few days I was able to break her and she started returning to the coop at night but ever since she has been harassed by my cockerel whereas before she was top chook! She has gone through a partial molt since then and is just starting to feather back in so I'm guessing her relatively weak state is apparent to the cockerel who is adamant about securing the top spot... I've read that over time as the pecking order solidifies it becomes less and less necessary for the top chook to reinforce it so hopefully everything returns to normal within a few months for the both of us!

Good to know others are going thru the same thing