Hen eating eggs and bully hen

[Jman45]

so I have had three new hens added to my flock for around 4 days now. One of the hens who was originally here keeps chasing around and biting this one hen in particular. And the same hen who is being bullied eats eggs I think. Not the ones in the nest box (unless she hasn’t discovered them yet) cause she was making a nest on the ground and I rolled an egg to her and she pecked it and started eating it. Another one that was laid on the ground just disappeared and I think she ate that too. Should I sell the bully hen? Let them work it out. What about the egg eating hen?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Do you have anywhere to put the bully for 5 days change the pecking order

 

[Col1948]

I've read filling an blown egg with mustard stops them eating them.
I've had the odd one eaten but it was a hen that was laying soft shell eggs, and as she was leaving the nest she sometimes broke it, then either her or another would eat it.
Since her egg shells have hardened I've not had any more eaten.

 

[Mrs. K]

Actually, I would pull the egg eater, and see if things settle down. I would not want egg eating in my flock. Or pull her and the bully and see how the rest of the flock gets along. Some birds do not fit together, sometimes they will work it out, and sometimes they won't.

Mrs K

 

[Col1948]

I had a thought about hens getting along. when I bought my first 3 hens I got them from a farm but they were all different breeds, I did this so my grandchildren could name them.
Any way, they were put in a box together for the journey home which took around 30-40 minutes, then once home I put them in a small coop I had and that was their home for 3 days.
then I released them in to the garden to free range, the thing is I never witnessed any fighting but may be that was done in the coop but they all seemed to get along.

So moving on a few weeks I decided to get 2 more from the same farm, again put in a box together for the journey home, I put them in the small coop together for 3 days but let the others see them in their little run.
The new 2 were different breeds but again they were like sisters, on release to the other 3 birds a bit of squabbling took place but nothing serious, the original 3 seemed to stay together and new 2 seemed to stay together, but on time mixed in together.

There was a bit of squabbling at roost time the 2 new girls were last to go in and I witnessed a bit of pecking going on, obviously letting them know they were the lowest rank. As time went on one of the original girls got a leg injury and had to be put down, I think this altered the pecking order a bit too.

Sorry for the long story to get to my point and that is I think the journey home in the box together did something to form a bond, because this was their first ever journey in a car and they were all nervous, so in my mind they had each other for support.

Again this I think happened to the 2 new girls, they bonded in the box and car journey home, I know I only have a small flock so it was easy for me to do, but I often wonder if you get 2 or three that don't get along put them in a box together and take them for a ride and see if they are OK when you get them back home, it might just work.

Also the box was a cardboard type with just a few breather holes so it wasn't exactly dark but more confined if you get my meaning, not a dog crate, this too might make a difference.

 

[chickens really]

 

[aart]

More to the story here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/update-hens-continue-to-fight.1298253/

 

[FiddleChics]

I've got 10, 1 year old hens who lay beautiful eggs.
One, two year old Alpha hen who's good... but then there's 2 year old "Atilla".

Attilla's a horrible bully; she's often broody; she tries to 'crow' like a rooster; she rips the feathers off my 3 Easter Egger's faces & eats their feathers; she lays soft, poor quality eggs that break easily; and now she has begun to eats her eggs after she lays them.

I use thick, aspen bedding pads w/ shavings in the five 12"x12"x12" nesting boxes.

I provide the flock with 3 separate feeding stations & layer feed at 16% protein.

I have 2 oyster shell stations in the coop/run for the girls to help themselves.

The fully enclosed run is 30'x40' w/ a 5'x6' coop & 2 roosting bars - & a 6'x14' covered run.

I limit treats to fresh veggies or herbs. But when they get treats - Attilla gobbles it up as fast as she can - almost like she's starving. She won't let the other hens have any & fights them off.
She is NOT the Alpha, but is 2nd in command in the coop pecking order.

Lately, I've been caging her BEFORE I give the rest of the flock treats, so she can't bully them. I have a XL dog crate INSIDE the big run, where I separate her... but friends - I am at my wits end & she's really making it unpleasant & robbing the joy out of the day - all the way around. Any ideas other than a cook pot?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am at my wits end & she's really making it unpleasant & robbing the joy out of the day - all the way around. Any ideas other than a cook pot?

Dinner or rehome (with disclosure of her issues). Absolutely no reason to keep a bird that makes you miserable and the rest of the flock miserable. I think you'll find your flock to be a lot calmer without her around, and you'll enjoy being around them more as well.

 

[FiddleChics]

Dinner or rehome (with disclosure of her issues). Absolutely no reason to keep a bird that makes you miserable and the rest of the flock miserable. I think you'll find your flock to be a lot calmer without her around, and you'll enjoy being around them more as well.

Thank you @rosemarythyme for your help, your words ring true. I think it's time... Guess I just had to hear it.