My chickens are picking on one chicken..

[Thatdarncat]

I have a tiny flock of 4. They have been together since chicks. Everything has been fine till this morning. One hen, has become VERY vocal, and started chasing and pecking another hen. Then, one of the other hen started pecking on the same hen too, but not vocal. They are pecking her hard!
I ended up putting the pecked on chicken in the coop to save her. Since then, the vocal chicken has really gotten more vocal. Like I think the neighbors might complain!!! What is going on??
How do I stop this? Please help...

 

[coach723]

Can you post some pictures of your birds so we can see them? How much space do they have? How old are they?

 

[Liz Birdlover]

There's "pecking order" then there is a "one of the hens is not feeling well let's gang up on her" or "we just don't like you anymore" behavior. I've had all 3 happen, different hens, different times. I've had to permanently move 2 hens to other more accepting & peaceful groups. Why does this happen? Only the chickens know, and they're not saying.

 

[Cie]

Something similar just happened here. There was 1 Dominique that did not come in at night....she did show up the next day. I got them all in last night. This morning a Dominique was walking in the large water dish ( mostly full) for the duck I am babysitting. I took her out and she was unusully compliant about being picked up....I saw 2 of the other birds peck at her when I set her down...Her neck seems to be retracted into her body, her eyes look fine....and I put her into my secure tackroom with water and food, and some hay on the floor. She is wandering around exploring and pecking at dust and cobwebs. Is it just me worrying too much, should I do anything else? Thank you

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Awww, hate it when they are meanies. I have had to move certain hens to other groups due to relentless bullying.

One thing, most times if a group wakes up & a hen is there with them, watch for some bullying, but if no one is injured, then it's likely just pecking order displays. If there's blood drawn, remove the injured.

If a group wakes up & then you add a hen later, they will definitely pick on her meanly. For some reason if they wake up together they're more likely to get along together. If they don't wake up together there will definitely be some squabbling, sometimes serious.

So if little hen is by herself in the tack Room tonight, you'd better get out there before the Sun comes up, so when light enters the coop and they all wake up, they will see her already there among them. Obviously if she has been picked on and is bloody anywhere she needs to be separated, if chickens see blood they all start pecking at it.

 

[Cie]

Thank you. Now that I think about it there was a major ruckus the morning I let them out of the coop and she had appeared from her night time absence....They were all making a ton of noise in a horse stall that was closed, which they can duck under the door.

Ive kept her in the tack room, with food and water, for at least another day. She seems brighter, but there is a area on one side of her face that looks like it's healing....hard to tell. She doesn't have her neck inside her body now...so I take it that is a good sign. She did not want to come out to join the others...maintained her perch.

Good idea on sneaking her in before daylight. I may try that late at night instead of early in the am....is that the same? Thanks for the response!!