Hen picking on other hen

[New Hen Mama]

I'm having the same problem right now. My oldest girl, harriet, has been laying for about 2 weeks now, my next one down, Amelia, has started to submit to me petting her and I think she's about to lay. The last couple days, any time I pet Amelia, harriet pulls out her neck feathers and gets really upset. I dont want amelia to start running from me or start feeling scared and getting egg bound.

I know how you feel.. I don’t want Ethel to not come around me cause she is scared..She is a little younger than Lucy and should be laying soon. Both are so sweet, but I had Lucy about a year before I got Ethel.. Now Lucy has to share me and she is not happy about it! Lol

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I'm having the same problem right now. My oldest girl, harriet, has been laying for about 2 weeks now, my next one down, Amelia, has started to submit to me petting her and I think she's about to lay. The last couple days, any time I pet Amelia, harriet pulls out her neck feathers and gets really upset. I dont want amelia to start running from me or start feeling scared and getting egg bound.

I scared one of mine so bad today that she pooped herself. I wasn’t going for that reaction but I was angry. I was trying to hand feed one of mine that has not been doing to well and they all keep trying to interfere and steal what I have in my hand. Finally, I just got so frustrated that I yelled without thinking and they all jumped and the one closest to me that kept stealing it - who is one of Mama’s best girls normally - jumped about three feet in the air and pooped mid jump - bless her heart. Flying chicken poop!lol!

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I know how you feel.. I don’t want Ethel to not come around me cause she is scared..She is a little younger than Lucy and should be laying soon. Both are so sweet, but I had Lucy about a year before I got Ethel.. Now Lucy has to share me and she is not happy about it! Lol

Yes they sound like puppy dogs for sure. If mine get like that I will really be impressed. I have one pullet who I scared the poop out of today who has been my favorite since they were delivered because she is the most easy going and loving to her sisters. She is never mean and always shares. She never runs over the other pullets and even though she has always been larger and taller for most of their lives she has not hurt the others in anyway even when she could have easily. Her best buddy is one of the Creme Legbars who was the runt of her sisters of three and she is the largest of her three Swedish Flower Hens. She has always prospected her and they have slept next together every night. The pecking order thing does amaze me and I do believe chickens are smart in many ways. Mine know my dogs and we’re raised in the house with them. They know the difference between them and other ones from around our community who can’t get to them but come around our yard which is fenced in. Our dogs can come up against their run but other dogs can only come up to the chain link fence that their run is housed inside of. They are doubly fenced in so that helps. A fence inside of a fence. But they know our dogs from others or coyotes that are known to come calling. And coons and possums and yesterday we had the pleasure of a peregrine falcon and she is huge and large wing span. She can see and smell them but cannot get to them.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I have had an exact situation among my sweetest ever Swedish Flower Hens who are sisters. The lead pullet as I call her because she is just 16 weeks as my entire flock of nine are and all are just three breeds of three each so they all act as sisters anyway but the incident was between two real sisters. One of the other SFHs has gotten into the habit of being very pecky towards Mama-Me and I have pecked her back but not too mean or anything but I have. But the other day she nailed me bad when I was giving them some kind of treat by hand. Well the lead pullet Poppie saw my reaction of true pain and she got ahold of her sister Verbena’s head and held onto it not in a nice way and rode it to the ground and held her down for several seconds before letting her up. Needless to say Verbena was treatless for that day for lots of reasons and she hasn’t bitten or pecked me like that since. Now if I just get her to discipline the big greedy Black: Lavender Orpingtons we would be in tip top shape! Lol! But also noting that my girl Poppie has not been in good form the last two days. I don’t know if the severe heat has gotten to her or what? I don’t know if they had a round when I didn’t see them or if she got hurt outside when it was lightning? They don’t free range but they do have a huge coop and run for nine birds with a metal roof and hardware cloth sides and we have had some terrible lightning storms lately which is because of the excessive heat indices averaging 105-110! Through July and August and Hurricane Laura moving through also after Tropical storm Marco. It has been rough in MS but I am not complaining compared to Louisiana and Texas or other places with real impacts. However my “lead pullet” baby is just not herself. She is laying around in the cool dirt and not eating enough to suit me. She is drinking and does move around some and I can’t see an injury she feels okay but she is off. It worries me dog gone it. ?????

This happened AGING today! I tried to pet Verbena meana as I now call her and she pecked me so hard she drew blood TWICE! And my lead pullet Poppie pecked her right then and there on the spot twice also and she then ran off and the other girls let me pet them just fine no problem. It was like she told you! And we are definitely letting Mom pet us now or we know what we get you dummy! Lol! I just was amazed it happened twice. I Am just upset about Verbena she used to walk right up to me for picking up and petting and all these things before we put them outside. I don’t know what has happened. She used to love me I thought. She always just cooed and talked to me and it was calm not excited. I don’t know but if she keeps being so mean and I have a problem with taking care of her or egg gathering she is going to be culled and replaced. I have a lot of money for her. Swedish Flower hens are supposed to be sweet. Not mean like that. I can understand if I was mean to them but I have never been mean to them nor has anyone in my family treated them badly. They have been spoiled.