Lydia is mean

[OScarlet]

She hogs the nest and if someone else gets in an lays she stands waiting for them to be done and then ousts them as they are standing looking a little shocked. She yells at any other hen trying to get to the nest to lay. She pecks all the other hens, not just 'get out of my way you serf' sort of way but very hard and repeatedly and will chase and pull and hold on tight. She will grab a comb or hackle and yank. She will walk over to another hen minding her business, not near the food or water and facing away and peck at her. The littlest least dominant hen keeps flying the pen when she is pecked and she will just freeze if Lydia comes near. She is not challenging anyone from what I can tell and is still being picked on by Lydia.

I tried vicks and it hasn't stopped her.

Any ideas?

 

[Gonetothebirds]

Chicken jail! I had a hen like that. Stuck her butt in a dog crate for a week. When I let her out she was low in the pecking order

 

[OScarlet]

I stuck her in our travel coop which is right next to the pen. Does she need to be away from the other chickens or just physically separated? I just thought I'd give the others a break but she can stay there.

 

[Gonetothebirds]

Either seems to work. Just give it about a week. Then try her again.

 

[OScarlet]

15 minutes after removing her I had three new eggs in one nest, including one from our littlest scardiest hen! Within half an hour all of them had laid except Lydia.