Naughty new hen being nasty

[meggers32]

I have just merged two groups of chickens and so far it is not so bad. The rooster mounts everyone he sees! I had one group close to my house (four hens who get along famously) and another group further out that was 3 hens and a rooster. Ugh! Besides the rooster rocking everyone's world, one of the hens I brought in is just attacking everyone of the hens now. Ambush style! She was the original of 3 hens who were laying on some eggs we have hatching now. When we moved the chickens together, and I had to move the nest, she stopped laying on them and 2 others took over. She seems to be the roosters fave (if they have one). Any ideas on how to show her she is not the boss? Or is she?

Thanks

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Lock her up for a few days away from the others and maybe that will calm her downGood luck!

 

[Judy]

I wonder if she is competing with the roo.

 

[meggers32]

They actually compete with the roos? Crazy birds! She usually does the pecking on the others when he is around. You would think that she is telling the others to back off of her man. Not only do I have this crazy one, but I think that I have the opposite end of the spectrum too. The hen at the BOTTOM of the pecking order is really as dumb as they come. They can not stand her, the rooster and the naughty hen just chase her all over the run. Right now she is with my broody hen, "helping out" with our eggs that are hatching.

 

[Davaroo]

This is what as known as social structuring, or establishing what you have rightly deemed the 'pecking order'.
Chickens do it at the earliest of ages, within a few days of hatching.
Once it is settled who is who in a flock (of four or 40), there is little more squabbling beyond a few scuffles here and there.

Now, when you take two separate groups and thrust them together, they must re-establish their social order... sort of like new kids in school. You are seeing a real force of nature at work.
For the record, and for those who may not know, none of them are being 'naughty' or 'mean' - it's just what they do.

As for the rooster, well he's readjusting, too. He's like a kid in a candy shop right about now.

 

[estpr13]

Davaroo is right.

I swear that chickens make noises in ranges that we cannot hear and perform subtle acts that we don't pick up on. Kind of like passive aggressive acts that the boss hen reacts to. Because if she didn't, she would have a fight on her hands eventually.