Hen suddenly started attacking its sister.

[taladiadium]

We have two five year old silkie hens which we have had since chicks, we did have three originally but we lost one when they were still young. They have been best friends all these years and were inseparable, strolling round the garden together never more than a foot apart. Yesterday one of them started chasing the other one around the garden and viciously pecking it. I tried separating them a couple of times but she wouldn't leave her alone so I kept them apart until i locked them in there run in the evening where they seemed alright again. Today the one that was getting attacked would not come out into the garden when i opened it up. I finally encouraged her out with some meal worms but the other chicken began attacking her again until she went back into the run to hide. When they are in the run together they seem alright, it seems to be that the attacker doesn't want her sister to come out in the garden? Any ideas as to why this may be and how i can stop it please?

 

[aart]

Could the one being picked on is sick?

A flock will sometimes try to eliminate a weak member as it can draw predators.

Not sure what you can do, sorry.

 

[Chickapoo Gal]

I have the same thing going on. I started a flock of 4 chicks in spring of 2013 and now after all this time 2 of the hens started pecking their sister last week and now she just hides in the shed. I realized she had a bit of sour crop so I now have that cleared up but she is still being shunned. I'm not sure if they started pecking her because she was feeling sick from the sour crop or the sour crop was caused by them not letting her near the water. I put out more water stations and I get her out of the shed and stand with her protecting her until they settle down a little and she is able to start mulling around and pecking and scratching as they watch her. It seems she can now spend longer periods of times around them without me until they again turn on her sending her back in the shed. It is so sad. I too am wondering if they will ever fully except her back. One of them doesn't bother her but she prefers to stick with the 2 mean ones.

 

[Chickapoo Gal]

Update: The feud for my hens appears to be over. The hen that began being shunned on or around June 5th is now being allowed to return on June 16. I had to put her and the one hen she got along with on opposite sides of the fence from the other 2 during the day for the past 11 days. They had been managing to sleep in the coop together at night. In the morning they won't let her out though until I got her out and over the fence. The feud ended with the 2 mean ones actin a little less mean and the shunned hen now standing up for herself a little more. Enough so she is back in with the flock but still is keeping her distance a little. Hope things worked with girls too Taladiadium. I think if I had not intervened to remove her and coax her back she would have gotten sicker and died.