How to handle bully?

[Dynamissa]

I have a flock of 5 21 week olds after one died, things have been completely off balance which is weird because the girl
Who passed was on the lowest or second lowest rung..

Anyway, one of them has decided despite 3 feeders she was going to chase the two lowest on the hierarchy away from*every single one* … from across the run. I was wondering how do I handle this? Do I separate her in a cage in the run or somewhere where she can’t see the others? What do I do at night? Put her back in the coop? She is a tyrant and a bully and one of my girls has a slow emptying crop all of a sudden and it just eating dirt unless I’m there to hand feed her and it feels like she’s going to take my hand off.

Suggestions appreciated… I’m so exhausted by everything since the one pullet died it feels like everything has completely fallen apart. These are my 5 year old
Daughter’s pets and of course the bully is a big fat SLW and so pretty. She’s also very people friendly… but this can’t go on for the others.

Picture of punk included.

 

[Themellowyellows]

Put the bully in. A cage for 2 days I think that should restart them. Then put her back out. That should also get your other hen to get her eating problem sorted out. Make sure you offer grit and oyster, (if there laying.) Grit helps move stuff around in there crop...
If you noticed continuing slow emptying crop, then its not the bully hens fault, more a illness that could be a entire life thing. If it gets bad, massage her crop with coconut. Maybe she swalloed something wrong, and damaged a organ.

 

[Dynamissa]

Put the bully in. A cage for 2 days I think that should restart them. Then put her back out. That should also get your other hen to get her eating problem sorted out. Make sure you offer grit and oyster, (if there laying.) Grit helps move stuff around in there crop...
If you noticed continuing slow emptying crop, then its not the bully hens fault, more an illness that could be an entire life thing. If it gets bad, massage her crop with coconut. Maybe she swalloed something wrong, and damaged an organ.

Put the bully in a cage in our run or away in like our garage or something ?

I was wondering if because this poor girl is eating everything form dirt to bedding because she doesn’t seem to get food, if she is just stuffing herself so much the liquid she drinks is all soaked up and what’s left by the morning is a doughy (like clay, moldable) chunk because there’s just too much crap in there… but I’ll have her looked at at some point.

Thanks!

 

[Dynamissa]

Just looking for confirmation as to whether or not to take the bully out of the run or leave her in a cage in there?

 

[LaFleche]

Just looking for confirmation as to whether or not to take the bully out of the run or leave her in a cage in there?

Out of sight from the others so they can relax and build their new hierarchy without the bully.

 

[Dynamissa]

Out of sight from the others.

Thank you! Overnight as well I assume?

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you! Overnight as well I assume?

Yes. For 1-2 weeks if necessary

 

[Themellowyellows]

Thank you! Overnight as well I assume?

Sorry, I was at work. Yes, away from the flock. Also monitor your other hens food intake, along with the rest of the flock.

 

[Dynamissa]

It seems one of my girls is suddenly lacking the confidence to eat around any other pullet? This wasn’t an issue before we lost one unexpectedly, everyone got along fine… and I can’t quite figure out this pecking order now even though it seems odd it shifted because the one who died was low with her other starlight green egger friend.

It seems like the Wyandotte is at the top but she gets chased off and corrected by one of my Orpingtons. But that Orpington gets told to scram by the girl being picked on by the Wyandotte…

Should I separate her in a space in the run for the day with her own food and water *and* remove the bully? I already put up a plywood wall to create some line of sight blockers but the Wyandotte patrols around them…

(I believe I saw welcome to chickenlandia crate the bully in the coop and leave her there for a couple days and that seemed to work?)

 

[Mrs. K]

Post some pictures of your set up. Sometimes problems come because birds become full size. What was more than enough space when they were chicks, rapidly becomes not enough space when they are full grown. Being raised together has almost no influence on behavior, and neither does 'free range' for a couple of hours a day. Lack of space is the number one cause of problems.

I might be making an assumption, but often times when people come on here and post that they have just started, and got 6 head, well often times that means they also got a pre-fab chicken coop that says it 'will hold 6 head' And they don't. Really Backyard Chickens should make them take that off of there as false information.

Multiple feeders placed so that a bird eating at one place, cannot be seen by a bird eating at another is very good. I tend to have a feed bowl for every 2-3 chickens.

Mrs K