Mean Hens

[Ridgerunner]

You've shot down my thoughts. It's not a lack of space anywhere. Yeah, Welsummer are typical chickens. She has younger ones to play with so it's not that she is necessarily a social outcast. I don't know what is going on.

Pale combs generally mean they are not laying, especially this time of the year. Might be molting too.

 

[The Cuckoo Nest66]

Get a good size dog crate and use that to house one of the bully hens in temporarily, it will help reform the pecking order and could balance out the bullying behavior. Funny thing, 2 of my ISA Brown pullets had no qualms asserting dominance over all but my BJG cockerel, including 3 older hens and an older roo before I separated them for molting. Chickens can be funny like that sometimes.

Hah, so strange! Yeah the chemistry here is definitely different than our first group of girls. I sent a message to the lady we got them from and asked if we could bring one back and trade. But, is it a good idea to bring in a single new hen? Or should we trade both bullies and bring in two new girls?

 

[The Cuckoo Nest66]

You've shot down my thoughts. It's not a lack of space anywhere. Yeah, Welsummer are typical chickens. She has younger ones to play with so it's not that she is necessarily a social outcast. I don't know what is going on.

Pale combs generally mean they are not laying, especially this time of the year. Might be molting too.

Pale combs can really mean they just aren't laying? I had only read that it's a sign of illness. Huh. That's actually good to know. I appreciate your feedback!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Pale combs can really mean they just aren't laying? I had only read that it's a sign of illness. Huh. That's actually good to know. I appreciate your feedback!

Pale combs are pretty typical in winter, when the birds are molting, just out of molt, or are simply not laying due to lack of light. As long as everything else seems normal it's not a big concern.

As far as the main issue, a little harassment is normal pecking order stuff and not something you need to interfere with, but if there's injury or birds are not being allowed to eat/drink/roost etc that's cause for concern. For the roost, you could try putting a divider up (cardboard, plywood, whatever you've got) to visually break up the space and have Dixie on one side, all other birds on other side, but I wager you'll need to manually place here in the safe spot each night, since it sounds like she's determined to be with the others.

 

[The Cuckoo Nest66]

Pale combs are pretty typical in winter, when the birds are molting, just out of molt, or are simply not laying due to lack of light. As long as everything else seems normal it's not a big concern.

As far as the main issue, a little harassment is normal pecking order stuff and not something you need to interfere with, but if there's injury or birds are not being allowed to eat/drink/roost etc that's cause for concern. For the roost, you could try putting a divider up (cardboard, plywood, whatever you've got) to visually break up the space and have Dixie on one side, all other birds on other side, but I wager you'll need to manually place here in the safe spot each night, since it sounds like she's determined to be with the others.

I like that idea actually. That would probably be a lot easier than giving back the bullies and bringing in a new hen or two.

 

[The Cuckoo Nest66]

While we're on the topic, here's a pic of mean ol Sally. She's the buff orp.

 

[Trevorusn]

Hah, so strange! Yeah the chemistry here is definitely different than our first group of girls. I sent a message to the lady we got them from and asked if we could bring one back and trade. But, is it a good idea to bring in a single new hen? Or should we trade both bullies and bring in two new girls?

Lol, I haven't had a situation a little restructuring hasn't fixed. When I was switching coops, and put the Browns into my big one to prep my small one as a " quarantine" one, my SF roo and the 3 hens were already in there. Soon as the Browns came in, they went from being top flockers...to bottom rung players. Not only did my roo let them know the business, so did my 3 older hens, 2 of which are also SF. For me, a temporary separation of one bully hen from the flock might be all that is needed to get over this roadblock to peace. Certainly wouldn't go trading them back, they may turn out to be awesome ladies.

 

[Mrs. K]

Get the pin less peepers.