Hen with pinless peepers refuses to eat or drink?

[loohoo]

We have 3 hens that will be 4 years old in the spring. They are the OGs, and there has been peace and harmony in the flock for years. The top hen is fair and isn’t a bully, except if the hen on the bottom of the pecking order is injured (she hurt her leg jumping off the water bucket one summer, and the top hen was merciless).

A few months ago, a random BR pullet showed up at our house, trying to get into the run. We have no idea where she came from, but she was healthy and in good condition. After quarantining her, we slowly integrated her in with the others by keeping her in a dog crate in their run for weeks. When it came to fully integrating her, the top hen accepted her just fine - just a few pecks here or there, absolutely no bullying behavior. The problem is with the hen at the bottom of the pecking order - she is a straight up bully to the newcomer. It’s been a while now, and thought time would fix it but it just hasn’t. The new girl had taken to hanging out on the roof of the coop (which is fully enclosed inside the run), all day and not going in the coop at night. The bully would keep her from going in.

We put pinless peepers on the bully 3 days ago, and the quality of the life of the new girl has drastically improved. She spends all her time in the run, gets along great with the other 2 hens. She doesn’t get on the roof, and actually went into the coop to roost last night for the first time ever, without me putting her in!

The problem is the hen at the bottom of the pecking order, with the peepers will not eat or drink. She seems depressed and sits in the coop all day - she won’t get up on the roost at night, she lays in the bedding. I’ve picked her up and brought her out of the coop where the food and water are, hoping if she was out there that she would eat, but no. She acts weird, makes weird frantic noises that attract the attention of the top hen, who has now started bullying her (because she acts “off”). I put a small container of food/water next to her inside the coop hoping to entice her but so far, it’s a no go. It’s really, really cold here right now and the way the coop is built, I can’t fit a dog crate in there to keep her separate for a while, I’d have to put it in the run. We’re just going through a really cold snap right now, and it makes me feel better to have them in the coop at night. Everything I read about the peepers said it took just a short while for the chicken to get used to the peepers and then they acted totally normal. It’s been 3 days and she doesn’t even seem to be trying to adjust whatsoever. She just seems like she’s shut down. What do I do?

I expected bullying from the top girl, never did I dream it would be from the one at the bottom of the pecking order!

 

[sourland]

Very logical that the hen at the bottom of the order would try to improve her position and subordinate the newcomer. I would take the Pin Less Peepers off of her and see if the newcomer has gained more confidence. If necessary, you can always put them back on.

 

[loohoo]

Very logical that the hen at the bottom of the order would try to improve her position and subordinate the newcomer. I would take the Pin Less Peepers off of her and see if the newcomer has gained more confidence. If necessary, you can always put them back on.

Thank you! I guess that does make sense! The others are secure in their places, she’s insecure because of her place.

She was up on the roost tonight when I went out, so she’s figured out she can do that. I watched as the new girl made her way in, and the bully made her way across the roost bar to intimidate the new girl who fled the coop. So, even with peepers on, she’s still being a bully (new girl just hasn’t figured out that she can’t actually peck yet, I don’t think) and new girl is still scared of her.

 

[ChickieDaMomma]

Thank you! I guess that does make sense! The others are secure in their places, she’s insecure because of her place.

She was up on the roost tonight when I went out, so she’s figured out she can do that. I watched as the new girl made her way in, and the bully made her way across the roost bar to intimidate the new girl who fled the coop. So, even with peepers on, she’s still being a bully (new girl just hasn’t figured out that she can’t actually peck yet, I don’t think) and new girl is still scared of her.

This is just what my flock and I are going through. Slow introductions over 4 weeks now and the 2nd from the bottom still seeks out, chases, and jumps on my newcomer. The newcomer is 16 weeks and the other 5 are about 10 months. I did the outside from their pen introduction to inside but separated intro. Now the 16 weeks is mingling with 4 of them with normal pecking, but the one 2nd from the bottom is relentless. I even placed the 2nd bottom one in the new ones inside pen while the new one mingled. The newer 16 week still comes inside MY house at night knowing that 2 nd one might kill her at night. Today I tried peepers and they are all in the run together. A world of peace now. And any chasing is brief. When should I try putting the new one in their coop at night and when should I try the 2nd bottom without the peepers again?