How long should I separate an aggressive chicken?

[Laylahege]

I have a bantam egger (mean cheeks) who has recently started attacking one of my barred rocks. The barred rock (stumpy) has a deformed leg and walks with a limp. She's healthy though. Mean cheeks was always at the bottom of the pecking order and was broody through most of the summer. She's just now a year old. She's not aggressive to my other birds, in fact, she's fairly skiddish of them. She is the smallest, barely bigger than a pigeon. She has been problematic since the beginning.
I've separated her in a dog crate. Should I move the crate out of the coop? How long should I keep her locked up? Any pointers? If she doesn't stop I'll re-home her, as stumpy is a very good layer and at home in the flock.
they are free range all day, plenty of food/water. Big run/coop and everyone is healthy.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

You can do it for 30 days. Two weeks is their memory, but I'm suggesting 30 days to be sure. Because she's bullying a deformed bird and no one else, it could be the case she's bullying her because of her deformity and won't stop. (Because of the deformity, she could be bullying for flock survival thinking that the deformed one is calling in predators.) You can keep the crate in the coop to hopefully keep the pecking order and make it easier for her when she goes back to her flock.

 

[Laylahege]

You can do it for 30 days. Two weeks is their memory, but I'm suggesting 30 days to be sure. Because she's bullying a deformed bird and no one else, it could be the case she's bullying her because of her deformity and won't stop. (Because of the deformity, she could be bullying for flock survival thinking that the deformed one is calling in predators.) You can keep the crate in the coop to hopefully keep the pecking order and make it easier for her when she goes back to her flock.

Thanks for this. She's such a problematic bird... Acts like a rooster, broody all the time... I want her to work out. Lockdown it is!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Thanks for this. She's such a problematic bird... Acts like a rooster, broody all the time... I want her to work out. Lockdown it is!

You're welcome. I know what it's like to have a problematic bird. Here's mine right now:

Her name is Valerie. She's in broody jail for the second time, and she's only 7 months old. This is her after the last time she went to broody jail:

After she got out of broody jail the first time, she plucked all the best beards in the flock- then some! If she wasn't my only Olive Egger that actually lays olive eggs, she'd probably be gone.

 

[Mrs. K]

Why wait? I would re-home her. Some birds just do not fit in a flock for whatever reason. What I would expect is that she will be better when you release her, and then start in again. While you have her separated from the other birds, pay close attention to the flock. Is there an ease in tension? Is there a relaxation? If so, make note of that number of birds.

Some birds can take a bit of crowding and some birds need more space than even recommended. If you want to keep the limping bird - then let the other bird go somewhere else, Always solve for peace in the flock, it is much more enjoyable. Fighting birds rather ruin it for me.

Mrs K

 

[Laylahege]

Why wait? I would re-home her. Some birds just do not fit in a flock for whatever reason. What I would expect is that she will be better when you release her, and then start in again. While you have her separated from the other birds, pay close attention to the flock. Is there an ease in tension? Is there a relaxation? If so, make note of that number of birds.

Some birds can take a bit of crowding and some birds need more space than even recommended. If you want to keep the limping bird - then let the other bird go somewhere else, Always solve for peace in the flock, it is much more enjoyable. Fighting birds rather ruin it for me.

Mrs K

They've always been together, Stumpy has always limped... So I'm going to give her a chance to straighten out. If after the separation she's back at it, she's definitely getting rehomed. I'm sure there's someone out there who wants a broody hen with a Napoleon complex