Nasty hen

[kmarks613]

About 10 days ago we had to bring a severely injured chicken in the house for medical attention and time to heal(her injury was not from another chicken).Tried to re-integrate her this afternoon while the hens were free ranging (we have 6 hens, no Roos) and one of the other hens immediately attacked her. We finally got them apart and then noticed another hen had a nasty pecking injury on her wing and the chicken who started the fight with the chicken we were re-integrating had some dried blood on her chest that clearly didn't belong to her. So 10 days ago we had 6 chickens that got along fine, now I have one chicken who clearly attacked another chicken and attacked the chicken we tried to re-integrate. The 5 chickens out in the coop were in their coop more than normal the past couple days due to severe weather, which might explain the pecking injury, but I don't know what to do. We put the chicken that's been in the house recovering back in the coop with three of the other chickens who have accepted her back without a problem, brought in the chicjen with the pecking injury to clean her up, and brought in the mean chicken (kept separately) since I can't leave her with the newly integrated chicken in the coop. Any suggestions?

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

You're instincts were just perfect in my opinion. In the end, after every one else is integrated, keep "nasty" separated. That will knock her down in the pecking order.

 

[kmarks613]

Thanks! How long do you think I should keep nasty separated? Just a few days? Longer?

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

It takes chickens 3 days to 'change their mind' I have found. I would separate Nasty 4 days.

 

[ELLY1]

It takes chickens 3 days to 'change their mind' I have found. I would separate Nasty 4 days.

HI I need help I did have 3 chickens xbattery 2 have since died the last one 3 weeks ago, the 1 lest has alway been the boss, but not nasty, 2 weeks a go I got SPECKELDY,COPPER BLACK,COLUMBINE,LIGHT SUSSEX and a BLUEBELLE, i kept the other one in a different pen for a few days then let her out with the others and boy did she fight them, she has now been in a pen on her own but in the main run with the others so they can see each other,has been a week in there I let her out the other day and she just went for the others, pulling feathers out and the others are so stressed (they are 20 weeks old) do you think she will ever get on with them.

 

[Pele]

If she can't get on with other chickens after 4 days of isolation, then I'd say she'd get along famously with some carrots, potatos, onions, garlic, celery, and dumplings in a bowl.

There's no reason for the rest of your girls to be miserable because of one hen with a personality problem.