I've got a hen that is causing a few problems. She's head hen and has no problem letting the others know. So far she has not caused any injury to any older birds or shown any bully behavior.
The problems happen in the next boxes. When she needs to lay an egg she always wants to lay in a box another hen is using, even if 6 other boxes are open. She pushes them out and in the tussle many eggs have been broken. She pushed a broody out of her nest to lay and cracked a developing egg, killing the chick inside. A while back she got the urge to brood and stole another broody's nest. I removed the trouble maker and put her in broody jail. Unfortunately the sitting broody, who had been there for over 2 weeks, abandoned her nest and all the eggs died.
I don't want her to brood because I can't even image how much worse she'd be with chicks to protect. Trouble maker was in broody jail for 2 days. I let her out and she went right for another broody's nest (yes I've had a bunch go broody this year). I put her right back in jail. She was there for almost a week. Yesterday morning I checked her and she wasn't puffed up any more and seemed normal so I let her out. I watched for about 30 minutes and she was running around eating treats with the others. I had to leave for work. I came home to find her in the other broody's nest again along with two dead chicks.
If the only problem was broken eggs it wouldn't be so bad but she has now caused the deaths of at least 3 chicks. She has a terrible attitude, always has. She is the only one in the flock (except for protective broodies) that has ever pecked or bitten me. Honestly, I don't really like her. On the flip side, she is still young at just over 2 years and is a beautiful Splash Laced Red Wyandotte. Some of my flock are more like pets but others are livestock; she falls in the later category. I've got some extra cockerels that will need processing soon so I could do her at the same time. I'm struggling on what to do with her. I think I'd like to cull her but I'm just not completely sure about it.
The problems happen in the next boxes. When she needs to lay an egg she always wants to lay in a box another hen is using, even if 6 other boxes are open. She pushes them out and in the tussle many eggs have been broken. She pushed a broody out of her nest to lay and cracked a developing egg, killing the chick inside. A while back she got the urge to brood and stole another broody's nest. I removed the trouble maker and put her in broody jail. Unfortunately the sitting broody, who had been there for over 2 weeks, abandoned her nest and all the eggs died.
I don't want her to brood because I can't even image how much worse she'd be with chicks to protect. Trouble maker was in broody jail for 2 days. I let her out and she went right for another broody's nest (yes I've had a bunch go broody this year). I put her right back in jail. She was there for almost a week. Yesterday morning I checked her and she wasn't puffed up any more and seemed normal so I let her out. I watched for about 30 minutes and she was running around eating treats with the others. I had to leave for work. I came home to find her in the other broody's nest again along with two dead chicks.
If the only problem was broken eggs it wouldn't be so bad but she has now caused the deaths of at least 3 chicks. She has a terrible attitude, always has. She is the only one in the flock (except for protective broodies) that has ever pecked or bitten me. Honestly, I don't really like her. On the flip side, she is still young at just over 2 years and is a beautiful Splash Laced Red Wyandotte. Some of my flock are more like pets but others are livestock; she falls in the later category. I've got some extra cockerels that will need processing soon so I could do her at the same time. I'm struggling on what to do with her. I think I'd like to cull her but I'm just not completely sure about it.
Not meaning a chicken is worthless of course
