Hi folks! Sorry this is long, but wanted to be thorough. Just wanted suggestions & advice.
My 16 hens are all almost 2 yrs old, with 3 diff batches being about 2-4 weeks apart in age. I used to have 2 brahmas but found one dead at the bottom of the roosting bars several months ago - don't know the cause, saw no blood or injury and she hadn't looked ill.
With all that said, her twin has been bullied lately, like just in the last couple weeks that I've seen, and has taken to staying in a nesting box. I mean she will stay there till I take her out even though everyone else is free ranging. She might be broody but I have removed her and sometimes found eggs (not hers), and sometimes not. I HAVE gone through the broodiness with a Brahma before- don't know if it was her or her late sister, or both, so I know how to deal with that.
But, as soon as I take her from the nesting box, at least one of the other hens immediately attacks her, head first, with a vengeance and repeatedly! Not always the same chicken either but frequently one of the two leghorns or one of the two comets, and sometimes two at a time. I was shocked to see my usually timid EE attack her on occasion, and while the others may beat them to it, the bard rocks look on or approach as if they have the same idea. My brahma barely tries to defend herself and instead kinda kneels down to take it. Wth? She's the biggest, always peaceful & quiet, never challenges the pecking order for the roosting bars, won't eat or drink with the others, and has remained a loner since her sister died at least 2 or 3 months ago. I'm starting to wonder if her sister was pushed off the roosting bars and broke her neck
Mostly, I need to know how to stop this or protect my big mama...
I don't want to cage her, or any of them, but I also don't want to have to babysit a single chicken-i've set up everything to let them be a bit self sufficient till I call them in. Apparently I'll have to do something though because I don't want her hurt. TIA 
My 16 hens are all almost 2 yrs old, with 3 diff batches being about 2-4 weeks apart in age. I used to have 2 brahmas but found one dead at the bottom of the roosting bars several months ago - don't know the cause, saw no blood or injury and she hadn't looked ill.
With all that said, her twin has been bullied lately, like just in the last couple weeks that I've seen, and has taken to staying in a nesting box. I mean she will stay there till I take her out even though everyone else is free ranging. She might be broody but I have removed her and sometimes found eggs (not hers), and sometimes not. I HAVE gone through the broodiness with a Brahma before- don't know if it was her or her late sister, or both, so I know how to deal with that.
But, as soon as I take her from the nesting box, at least one of the other hens immediately attacks her, head first, with a vengeance and repeatedly! Not always the same chicken either but frequently one of the two leghorns or one of the two comets, and sometimes two at a time. I was shocked to see my usually timid EE attack her on occasion, and while the others may beat them to it, the bard rocks look on or approach as if they have the same idea. My brahma barely tries to defend herself and instead kinda kneels down to take it. Wth? She's the biggest, always peaceful & quiet, never challenges the pecking order for the roosting bars, won't eat or drink with the others, and has remained a loner since her sister died at least 2 or 3 months ago. I'm starting to wonder if her sister was pushed off the roosting bars and broke her neck
Mostly, I need to know how to stop this or protect my big mama... I don't want to cage her, or any of them, but I also don't want to have to babysit a single chicken-i've set up everything to let them be a bit self sufficient till I call them in. Apparently I'll have to do something though because I don't want her hurt. TIA 
