I don't want to cull, please help!

[nutmeg1980]

I have a pullet with a bad case of the bullies. She's a wheaten marans - very large. She's much bigger than my 5 other pullets - they're all roughly 10 months old.

The pecking started a little more than a month ago. My other 5 girls have bare butts, some much worse than others. I've put blue kote on them all, I'm feeding cat food and black oil sunflower seeds for extra protein, and I'm making saddles for the ones who have bare pink butts. I was tying cabbage tether balls up for them, but it's been so cold recently that the cabbages freeze before the girls get much fun out of them. They have plenty of space - a large coop and a very large outdoor run. I've tried separating her. There was peace in the flock while she was gone and the others started to grow their feathers back, but when I put her back after a week of separation she went right back to her old behavior. She's back in the basement now. I can't have the other girls wearing saddles forever, and I'm afraid that she'll just start in on the spots that the saddles don't cover.

I'd cull her in a second except she's a beautiful bird and she lays the most amazing large mahogany eggs. I'd really hate to get rid of her, but I can't have her terrorizing my flock forever. Does anyone have any ideas to make her stop?

Thanks!

 

[enola]

pinless peepers keep them from zeroing in on feathers and pulling them out

 

[easttxchick]

I'd put her back in jail. She needs to stay away from the flock long enough to lose her "head honcho" position. Some take longer than others.

 

[Big George]

I had the opposite problem, one picked on by several so I made her own little ark. She looked so bad at first I was just going to put her down. After a few months she looked great again and I re introduced her to the flock. She is doing well with the group now for a couple of months. Could you just keep her by herself?

 

[RAWR]

embarace her. hold her upside down in front of the others. and if she keeps going, lock her up. if she still is a female dog, rehome her.

 

[nutmeg1980]

I like the idea of holding her upside down in front of the others - a public shaming!

She's in jail (a dog crate in the basement) now and I'll keep her there for a while longer. What's the longest I should keep her isolated? I know chickens are social creatures and don't do well on their own. I don't want to hurt her......

 

[ConchRepublic]

Quote:
Can take anywhere from a day to a couple weeks.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

I culled a bully hen that was terrorizing the whole flock a couple of weeks ago(crock pot). I gave her a chance(1wk timeout)but she wasn't very cooperative. Best thing I ever did for this particular flock. Her accomplice, the roo was also removed from the flock and lucky for him, he was rehomed. I have no place in a flock for bullies. It only takes one or two to ruin the dynamics of the whole flock. The remaining 11 are now living in perfect harmony. It took me a while to even figure out the reestablished pecking order due to them getting along so well. I guess that the point that I am trying to make is that no matter how pretty she is, or how much she lays, the rest of the flock needs to be taken into consideration.

 

[KKatknap]

I had one that suddenly got nasty a little while back. I separated her for a week, put her back & she started up again. Took her right back out for two more weeks, and things have been fine ever since. She is still nasty to the hens she outranks (she isn't #1), but it's just a quick peck at them and then she moves on.

When I separated her, I kept her near the others, so she wasn't totally alone... just unable to mingle. She did have to roost alone at night.

If it doesn't work, you could certainly sell her. Marans are popular birds. Even if she's cranky, I'll bet there are folks who would be happy to let their cranky girl have a go at her.

 

[gsim]

Whenever I read about this subject I wonder about the space available for the birds. I have seen some bullying going on at roost time and stopped it by smacking the offender off of the roost and turning off the lights. Took two times to work. Haven't seen it yet. I have 5 sq ft/chook inside, and 80 sq ft/chook outside with roosts, etc to occupy them. I have a lame runt that lives quite peacefully with the other 22 hens, and all are same age. You would think that I would have one bully out of 23, but seems not. That is why I wonder about the available space, etc and if it has a bearing on this behavior.