Issue with bullying

[skepticCS]

Thanks for all the advice! I will isolate her for a few weeks and see if this resets the social order a bit. I will take that time to do some closer observation of her health (I was planning on doing this part anyway before I re-homed her). This is my biggest worry, but also my biggest confusion.

My question about the health issue is that, even though it has gotten much worse, this has been going on since we inherited her 8 months ago. Are their any contagious avian illnesses that can have enough of a phenotypic response that it can be picked up by her flockmates but remain undetected by human observation for that long? It also has not gotten any worse and nor has it apparently passed on to any of the other chickens? In fact, when she arrived, her and the others from her flock looked in rough shape having lived with a particularly crappy rooster who beat up on them regularly (and was sent to the stock pot by my old neighbors for it). Since then, she and her sisters have all blossomed and look healthier than ever. Also, if her illness is perceived as a threat to the whole flock, why do the members of her old flock still largely tolerate her, never take part in the bullying, and have only become less of a security system for her since the flocks fully integrated themselves, no longer providing a distinct geographic safe space within the run?

I have a TON to learn about these issues, so please don't think that I am denying the possibility of a genuine underlying health problem as the root cause. I am very concerned about that and will be isolating her in the manner suggested here to figure that out. I just want to put my thoughts about the health assessment out there to get further response.

Thanks again for all your help! I will keep you updated once I get her isolated.

 

[aart]

When she is isolated, should I still move put her in the main coop at night with the other birds?

No, you want to leave her caged overnight so you can check crop at night, then pull feed, and check crop again in morning before giving feed back.

It's about 4x5x4ft

10-11 birds in this space is very crowded.
What is your climate?
Is your run weather/predator proofed for 24/7/365 occupation?

 

[azygous]

As far as the issue of phenotypes providing a clue to chickens as to the physical/pathological condition of a flock mate, chickens have a far greater ability to both see these features with eyes that see far more than the human eye is capable of, as well as picking up on behavioral cues we humans don't notice. (This is sort of like the facial features and behavior of a Down Syndrome human giving us clues to the additional chromosome they carry in their cells.)

That these clues to the health of a flock mate are there is a matter of assumption that they exist. I don't know of any way to nail them down so we can use the information other than to spend your free time observing how the flock interacts with this one individual they've cut out of the herd. Chickens have much to show and tell us about them if we spend the time.

 

[azygous]

Also, chickens brooded together have a very strong life-long bond that would probably supersede being reactive to any phenotypic change in one of them. I also wonder if a flock of different subgroups that have coexisted for many years would also be less reactive to phenotypic changes.

 

[skepticCS]

10-11 birds in this space is very crowded.
What is your climate?
Is your run weather/predator proofed for 24/7/365 occupation?

It's about 2 sq ft/chicken, so not ideal. I just can't do anything at the moment other than get rid of chickens. I live in the Piedmont region in NC, so moderately cold winters and very hot summers. We have a LOT of predators and I only lost one bird just last week because she found a sneaky way to jump out of the run that I have since patched. My neighbors, by comparison, lost several every year, so I think my run, and especially the coop, are well-protected against predators. the run is not weather protected except for under the coop where I keep their food and water. I am planning on building a metal roof over a fenced in subsection of the larger run for just this purpose, but, again, no time at the moment.

 

[skepticCS]

@azygous I love this discussion! It makes me want to spend even more time with my chickens.

 

[azygous]

I feel the same. The more our chickens reveal, the more addicted we can get to finding out more. I have discovered why we have so many chicken metaphors in our language - we share a lot of behavioral traits with poultry. It makes it even more compelling to learn more.

 

[khrisilou]

I have found this helpful since I, too, have a bullying hen. She will be put in jail tomorrow. I am quite concerned about the little hen being bullied as she is so fearful and neurotic now. She stays away from me and all the hens, just peeking around things to see what is going on. I'm hoping that having time with the flock and away from the bully will help her. Thank you everyone!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have found this helpful since I, too, have a bullying hen. She will be put in jail tomorrow. I am quite concerned about the little hen being bullied as she is so fearful and neurotic now. She stays away from me and all the hens, just peeking around things to see what is going on. I'm hoping that having time with the flock and away from the bully will help her. Thank you everyone!

Providing hiding spots for bottom hens can help too.

 

[azygous]

I just finished writing this new article on bullying. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chicken-bully-chicken-victim-a-two-sided-issue.73923/