Mean Hen

[Red Barn Farms]

The best thing to do in a situation like this? Get rid of her. In all honesty. Just my opinion.

Your own words:

The only problem with these beautiful year-old Astrolorp hens the owner told us, is that one constantly attacks at least 3 of the other 5, This is still continuing after one year.


This makes me think no matter where this hen is she will continue to behave in this manner. If she is kept apart from the flock then rejoined at a later date she will continue her bad behavior.

 

[jporter]

I agree that she MUST go. We are planning to see if some friends who also have a few chickens will take her. We have thought of Storey's method of cutting the 1/4 of top beak, but we've never done this, nor have the tools to do it, other than a knife. We think it best to just get rid of her or in some way give her a new home.
Thanks so much for taking time to write. I believe this is the best advice for us and the rest of our hen flock.
Janice

 

[blondiebee181]

Okay I have a slightly similar problem maybe not as drastic...I have 5 hens: In their pecking order it's Silver and Daisy (they are both leaders, Silver is the oldest but also the newest chicken. I raised the other 4 together from chicks) then Xena, Ginger, and Petrie at the bottom. I purchased 2 female Indian Runner ducks back in July. I have integrated them in with my hens pretty successfully. At first, Daisy did some pecking to show them she is a high-ranking chicken not to be messed with, but now she seemingly has better things to do than pick on them unless they get in her face. Petrie will chase them once in a great while and Silver and Xena pretty much ignore them completely. Ginger, however, loves to make mischief by chasing them for no reason. They are thankfully really fast and she can seldom catch them to peck. They also have the safety of the water. Their courage is building, they are only 2 mos. old, but a few days ago I was feeding meal worms in the grass and Ivy, one of the Runners decided to snap at Xena when she came to eat her section of worms! I was so surprised! But I was glad they were showing signs of standing up for themselves. Still, Xena is the only one they will see off. They run from all the others, especially Ginger. Ginger will hover over their food dish even if she isn't hungry, which is also sort of an issue. I have placed a number of food bowls around the run about 1/4 the way full of feed hoping that this will give everyone options and a chance to feed. I'm tired of having to stand guard over the ducks making sure they get a meal! If they ged fed up enough or hungry enough will they be able to fight this nasty hen? She hasn't been brutal so far, just an obnoxious playground bully.

 

[blondiebee181]

Anyone with a suggestion that will make feeding easier?

 

[GrandmaChickie]

I don't have much of a suggestion. I have a similar situation with some banty cochins I got. Most of my big hens ignore them, but when they are locked up in the coop, the poor little things just get driven from one end of the it to the other. The big hens aren't really being mean, but I have two big hens who just can't seem to let an opportunity go to get a peck in... and it almost seems like they each go to separate ends of the coop on purpose just so they can run the Cochins back and forth. My solution is that DH is building another banty-size coop for the Chochins. Poor little Bellatrix is almost bald!

 

[MorgansManor]

I put my mean hen in a dog crate one afternoon when i was ready to ring her neck. I gave her only water and every 30 minutes I would take her out hold her while she growled then put her back in the crate. I did this a couple of afternoons in a row and now she is a very sweet hen. Hope you find a solution that works I was so mad at her and was ready to give her away. Oh I let all the other chickens including chicks free range around her. Good luck!

 

[Checkers1558]

Separating is a good idea. I may separate her to the point of giving her away, or trading . .
Thanks for writing.

i had to get rid of my hen '' Buffy the chicken slayer " because she pecked right below my plymouth rock's eye. Buffy was very aggressive too.