Mean Girl

[Coldchickenchaser]

Hi, I'm very new to chickens. My oldest girls are 14 weeks old.
I have this one who just seems to be a sh*t stirrer. For no apparent reason, she gets a mean look in her eyes and is constantly chasing after the others, especially my 3 easter eggers.
My concern is that I'm going to be integrating my second brood soon (4-6 weeks old) and I'm afraid she's going to be really aggressive towards them.
She used to be the lowest on the pecking order, but suddenly the tables seem to have turned. Is this just normal, is there anything I can do to get her chill out? Thanks!

Also: we have 7 chickens in a 12x 10 enclosed run. I have added a lot of "junk" for them to run, jump, and peck at.

 

[50-45-1]

If I had only a 10 by 12 space for chickens total with no other day range space, I'd only have 2 chickens
Each chicken needs a minimum of 10 square feet.
The more chickens you add to this recipe, the more problems will develop as they grow.
Overcrowding creates many problems arising from boredom and stress
Agression and feather picking.
Picking that can lead to injury, even death.
Egg eating
Diesese and illness
Chickens need room. Room to forage and scratch.
Your chicken coop for sleeping can be small as long as it has adequate roosting space, but day time runs should be large enough so the flock can have comfortable space.
Your bossy girl is quite representative and common to all flocks. I think we all have one. Its called the pecking order. There is always one at the top. This is how chicken communities govern themselves. Who is on top may change from time to time, but someone's always there. Remove her and eventually someone else moves up.
You are new to chickens so brace yourself to learn alot.
We all started out this way, and learned as we went.
Good luck.

 

[Coldchickenchaser]

If I had only a 10 by 12 space for chickens total with no other day range space, I'd only have 2 chickens
Each chicken needs a minimum of 10 square feet.
The more chickens you add to this recipe, the more problems will develop as they grow.
Overcrowding creates many problems arising from boredom and stress
Agression and feather picking.
Picking that can lead to injury, even death.
Egg eating
Diesese and illness
Chickens need room. Room to forage and scratch.
Your chicken coop for sleeping can be small as long as it has adequate roosting space, but day time runs should be large enough so the flock can have comfortable space.
Your bossy girl is quite representative and common to all flocks. I think we all have one. Its called the pecking order. There is always one at the top. This is how chicken communities govern themselves. Who is on top may change from time to time, but someone's always there. Remove her and eventually someone else moves up.
You are new to chickens so brace yourself to learn alot.
We all started out this way, and learned as we went.
Good luck.

10x 12 is 120sq feet With the under coop space, they have almost 20sq feet per chicken

 

[aart]

10x 12 is 120sq feet With the under coop space, they have almost 20sq feet per chicken

How big is the coop itself?

7 of the older birds, how many in the younger group??

The low bird is often the worst when it comes to aggression to new birds.
You may have to get rid of her.

 

[Eviethechickenmomma]

Can you send another pic showing her back tail feathers from other angles? Wondering if SHE could be A HE, this is has happened to me twice! How old? I would check for spurs on her back leg, I didn't see any but I could be wrong. Ya might have a roo