Hen pecking

[dameyers]

Question on chicken pecking, bullying, I have 8 chickens 4 are sisters, 4 others are adopted, All hens.. We do not have a rooster,, they have all been together for over a year. but in the past 4 months or so, they have turned against one, we keep her in a separate area at night, her own little fenced in, one bucket, doll house condo with a garden view.. During the day she roams the yard on her own or is chased down by the others to be jumped on and pecked, even her sisters get in a shot or two. I tried putting her in general population with the others last night, I need my garden area back, without her thinking its a smorgasbord. But she was jumped and pecked hard, to the point she was bleeding. With in seconds she was attacked. So back to her condo... Any ideas?

 

[chicknmania]

That is strange. I'm thinking maybe find a couple of pullets, quarantine the pullets where they can see her, and after quarantine try introducing them to her and maybe keeping them with her for a couple of weeks together in their own separate pen, and see how they get along, and then let all three out together. That might work, and would be what I would try. It's weird that they turned against her. Is she acting healthy?

 

[chickens really]

What do you feed? Sometimes it's just impossible and she might need separation forever.

 

[50-45-1]

Hello dameyers, glad you joined us!
Sorry you are having trouble with bullying. It is a problem sometimes solved sometimes not.
I am curious what breed your hens are.
Sometimes giving the flock extra things to do, stuf to scratch thru like hay or hanging a cabbage in there run can give them something else to focus on instead of picking on eachother. If your birds are confined in a small area, this makes it worse. You might have to get really inventive if space is the issue. Maybe the answer is downsizing the flock. Make sure that there are escape areas for your less dominafe birds by adding roosts and branches in the run.
Good luck, and welcome to the backyard!

 

[dameyers]

That is strange. I'm thinking maybe find a couple of pullets, quarantine the pullets where they can see her, and after quarantine try introducing them to her and maybe keeping them with her for a couple of weeks together in their own separate pen, and see how they get along, and then let all three out together. That might work, and would be what I would try. It's weird that they turned against her. Is she acting healthy?

She seems fine and healthy, eating and laying, she is just running scared, even in the yard. the others will run her down every once in awhile, just to let her know who is boss i guess. she spends her day far away from the others, as much as she can. unless they wonder to close to her area.

 

[Cryss]

Possibly environmental.
Crowding will cause this kind of activity. Make sure thet have adequate coop space and run space when not free ranging.
If there is plenty of space (we don't know how much you have) give them distractions, a new roost, hang a head of cabbage, give them toys, an old log to stand on and move around every few days so they can peck the bugs underneath.
A sick bird will be attacked. Separate but within vision of the flock. I often have used an old dog cage. This is also the best way to introduce/reintroduce a new/recently absent bird.
Set up multiple feeding areas so there is no fighting over that.
Keep the injured bird separated the same method until they are healed. Blood will cause the others to continue to peck and very possibly kill the injured bird.
I had one bird doing the bullying. She ended up wearing chicken blinders. It worked. Once your bird is healed and ready to be integrated again watch to see if there is one bully. If once she is healthy and it's the whole flock I'd think it was environmental.

 

[chicknmania]

Possibly environmental.
Crowding will cause this kind of activity. Make sure thet have adequate coop space and run space when not free ranging.
If there is plenty of space (we don't know how much you have) give them distractions, a new roost, hang a head of cabbage, give them toys, an old log to stand on and move around every few days so they can peck the bugs underneath.
A sick bird will be attacked. Separate but within vision of the flock. I often have used an old dog cage. This is also the best way to introduce/reintroduce a new/recently absent bird.
Set up multiple feeding areas so there is no fighting over that.
Keep the injured bird separated the same method until they are healed. Blood will cause the others to continue to peck and very possibly kill the injured bird.
I had one bird doing the bullying. She ended up wearing chicken blinders. It worked. Once your bird is healed and ready to be integrated again watch to see if there is one bully. If once she is healthy and it's the whole flock I'd think it was environmental.

OP already said the bird was healthy. All good ideas above, but I still think giving your lonely bird a few new pullet friends of her very own would help too. If you do nothing, and she remains isolated, she's very likely to be picked off by a predator. As I said, it's strange. WE have an old rooster who was in a pen for 11 weeks because of a lameness issue. I knew he would have problems re-integrating in to the flock when he healed and went back out, and he did have problems for a day or so, but in fact he had far less problems than I anticipated. He figured it out on his own, and as long as he communicates friendly intentions to the other roosters, and he keeps a polite (short) distance, they allow him to remain with the flock as they free range and there is no bullying. And he's close enough to be able to use the flock as protection. Sometimes he even has his own hens! And this is a rooster. If he as a rooster can get along with other roosters, even under those circumstances, as I said, if your hen is healthy, and they got along alright in the beginning, there is something strange going on. Is she the same breed/ coloring as the others?

Lots of hatcheries have pullets for sale right now, and they're not expensive, so if you can, please consider that possibility.

 

[TannerTrue]

Chicknmania, I'm having the same problem with my hens. One hen (the ONLY Speckled Sussex) is being picked on by ONE of the Wyandottes. This started suddenly when the Sussex was getting broody. Could it be a combination of these two things?

 

[aart]

Any ideas?

Some birds can be 'unhealthy' without us humans noticing and may be drummed for the flock.
First things to always look at are space and diet.

-your coop and run sizes (in feet by feet with pics),
-and what and how exactly you are feeding.