Hen getting bullied

[b2c2chicks]

The same 20 chooks have been raised together. Come to find out, I had 7 roos and 13 hens. Everyone was getting along splendidly until 3 weeks ago. I caught a Black Copper Maran hen picking on a Lavender Orpington hen (she was trying to hide in the nest box). She had a hole in the back of her neck. So I locked her in the coop during the day for a few days to allow her to heal.

A few days later I left the coop open all day, and caught a hateful BCM roo pecking a hole in the top of her head. I’m used to his attacks on me but this time he got me pretty good when I took her away. I should’ve let the dogs have him. However, I felt sorry for him because apparently the other roosters picked on him which has made him aggressive...so I relocated him to my other flock. I’ve kept the lav orp in the basement since then, and she healed up nicely. So I put her back with the others during roost 2 nights ago.

Came out the next morning to find a BCM hen pecking another hole in the top of her head!! It almost appears as if an aggressive rooster is causing this same injury during a mount session. So I brought her back in the basement.

I am 2 weeks away from relocating to new coops, and splitting the breeds up. Do you think this will alleviate the pecking order issue? Or is it once pecked, always pecked?

 

[karissapaul]

are they eating her feathers? or are they just cannibals?

 

[b2c2chicks]

are they eating her feathers? or are they just cannibals?

I’m not sure, the feathers are gone and it’s a big bloody hole. It looks to be in the same spot the roosters grab onto to mount...which makes me wonder maybe her skin is just tearing easily. I hate it because her feathers had grown back and she looked normal again! Less than 12 hours later they destroyed her again.

 

[karissapaul]

I’m not sure, the feathers are gone and it’s a big bloody hole. It looks to be in the same spot the roosters grab onto to mount...which makes me wonder maybe her skin is just tearing easily. I hate it because her feathers had grown back and she looked normal again! Less than 12 hours later they destroyed her again.

dont worry, you should put a hen saddle on her it should help

 

[GoldpartridgeHen]

also what did you buy them as?
if they were raised together as chicks their should be no problems but otherwise...?

 

[Chickassan]

You're still going to have problems. You have too many males. That many males drive the hens to neurotic behavior and they take it out on each other. How are you set up on space? That could be a secondary factor.

The same 20 chooks have been raised together. Come to find out, I had 7 roos and 13 hens. Everyone was getting along splendidly until 3 weeks ago. I caught a Black Copper Maran hen picking on a Lavender Orpington hen (she was trying to hide in the nest box). She had a hole in the back of her neck. So I locked her in the coop during the day for a few days to allow her to heal.

A few days later I left the coop open all day, and caught a hateful BCM roo pecking a hole in the top of her head. I’m used to his attacks on me but this time he got me pretty good when I took her away. I should’ve let the dogs have him. However, I felt sorry for him because apparently the other roosters picked on him which has made him aggressive...so I relocated him to my other flock. I’ve kept the lav orp in the basement since then, and she healed up nicely. So I put her back with the others during roost 2 nights ago.

Came out the next morning to find a BCM hen pecking another hole in the top of her head!! It almost appears as if an aggressive rooster is causing this same injury during a mount session. So I brought her back in the basement.

I am 2 weeks away from relocating to new coops, and splitting the breeds up. Do you think this will alleviate the pecking order issue? Or is it once pecked, always pecked?

 

[Shadrach]

The same 20 chooks have been raised together. Come to find out, I had 7 roos and 13 hens. Everyone was getting along splendidly until 3 weeks ago. I caught a Black Copper Maran hen picking on a Lavender Orpington hen (she was trying to hide in the nest box). She had a hole in the back of her neck. So I locked her in the coop during the day for a few days to allow her to heal.

A few days later I left the coop open all day, and caught a hateful BCM roo pecking a hole in the top of her head. I’m used to his attacks on me but this time he got me pretty good when I took her away. I should’ve let the dogs have him. However, I felt sorry for him because apparently the other roosters picked on him which has made him aggressive...so I relocated him to my other flock. I’ve kept the lav orp in the basement since then, and she healed up nicely. So I put her back with the others during roost 2 nights ago.

Came out the next morning to find a BCM hen pecking another hole in the top of her head!! It almost appears as if an aggressive rooster is causing this same injury during a mount session. So I brought her back in the basement.

I am 2 weeks away from relocating to new coops, and splitting the breeds up. Do you think this will alleviate the pecking order issue? Or is it once pecked, always pecked?

Expecting 7 roosters and 13 hens to live in harmony isn’t imo realistic.
Splitting into two groups may help if you can split by breed, but I’ve found two roosters per group provided they have their own favorite hens is about the limit.
I think you have too many roosters, or to few hens, and you will have further problems with this arrangement.
I’ve found 3 hens per rooster the minimum to avoid competition.
I did have eight roosters and cockerels of various ages and two groups had a rooster and two cockerels and not enough hens. There are four distinct groups living in separate coops.
I now have seven males and life is calmer.

 

[Chickassan]

Still can't imagine that many fellas. The one here dances the six mature hens to the edge of sanity. The four smaller ones are enjoying peace for the moment but it is short lived, by the new year they'll all be in the same randy boat.

Expecting 7 roosters and 13 hens to live in harmony isn’t imo realistic.
Splitting into two groups may help if you can split by breed, but I’ve found two roosters per group provided they have their own favorite hens is about the limit.
I think you have too many roosters, or to few hens, and you will have further problems with this arrangement.
I’ve found 3 hens per rooster the minimum to avoid competition.
I did have eight roosters and cockerels of various ages and two groups had a rooster and two cockerels and not enough hens. There are four distinct groups living in separate coops.
I now have seven males and life is calmer.

 

[b2c2chicks]

After I move coops and split, I’ll have:

-1 roo, 4 hens
-2 roos, 6 hens (this is where the bullied one will go)
-1 roo, 3 hens
-4 roos, 19 hens

I hope disrupting their pecking order will put a stop to this. It seems as if the BCMs are a more aggressive breed altogether. They weren’t supposed to be together this long (theyre 6 months old), but coop plans kept getting changed.

 

[123RedBeard]

I'd get rid of a few of the cockrells, starting with the one you caught being a knucklehead ...