My Rhode Is. Reds are picking on my Barred Rock

[Its Just Us Chickens]

Hi,

I'm curious about the way my chickens are treating my barred rock. We had 2 barred rocks, and 5 rhode island reds-- counting the rooster, he's one of the reds. This morning we found one of the barred rocks dead in the yard. We don't know if the dog killed it, or if she found it dead and was playing with it. So I guess we're going to have to put her up.
Anyhow, In our coop, there is a 2x4 that goes across one of the walls at an angle for the birds to roost on. When I went out this evening to give them some water, and I noticed that the reds were picking on the rock. They would peck at her till she had to get off the roost. Every time she tried to get back up they would do it all over again.
Are they doing this because she's the only one of her kind left, or are they doing it just because?

 

[Pumpkinpup]

It has been my experience that RIR's are somewhat bullies in nature anyway. It is very likely that they have singled her out because she is different. I have had several chickens severely injured by RIR's throughout the years, the most recent being my little silver marans roo who was parylized from the attack for 3 weeks. I just have put him back outside today. He is still missing most of his back and tail feathers but has recovered otherwise. I will no longer put any other breed with my RIR's. This makes 5 instances in a number of years. That's enough.

 

[Pinky]

It may be because of the lost member that the pecking order in your flock has to be established again.Like you said ,since you only have one barred rock ,it might be because she is the only one of her kind.

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

Quote:
So is this something that they'll work out on their own?

We're going to put up a second roost so they can spread out more if they want too.

 

[jossanne]

I got 5 RIR's in my order of rainbow layers from McMurray this summer. I sold them last month. They were bullies, and were picking out everyone else's tail feathers. The RIR's were beautifully feathered, and everyone else was missing their tails. Every time I sat out in the hen house to visit with the girls, it was chaos with the RIR's running and pecking feathers out of everyone else. Now that they're gone, everyone's tails are coming back in, and it's really peaceful.

I'll miss all the lovely brown eggs they'd have laid, but I sure won't miss my RIR's. I'll never have them again.

 

[harv681]

I have had the opposite experience. My Barred Rocks pick on my RIRs, although the Reds are somewhat dog aggressive and go after my dachshunds! The doxies then take it out on the cat. I can't leave anyone unsupervised!

 

[purplepoen]

It could be just because they dont like her. I've lost a few to canibalism. The problem was overcrowding, do your chickens have plenty of space?

 

[cmom]

Quote:
So is this something that they'll work out on their own?

We're going to put up a second roost so they can spread out more if they want too.

Good idea, they are probably re-establishing their pecking order. I just lost one of my older girls to a preditor but haven't noticed any changes in behaviour in my other birds.