Need help with a Bully!!!*****Update*****

[chicknchick]

I have 5 hens that are about 25 weeks old. 3 Brahmas and 2 Cochins. All are laying except one Cochin who is getting bullied by one of my Brahmas. What should I do? I feel bad for her because she is constantly being chased after and pecked on her head. The bully is even biting her wings. Should I separate them? For how long? Will it work or should I just start looking for a new home for the bully?

 

[FortWorthChicks]

Bully hens are no good. I would find her a new home.

 

[fowlgirl]

With my baby hen batch I got last spring from a dealer,I ended up with my first roo,a leghorn. I was kind of excited but with caution. As I was right in my fear, he got to attacking my hens.And me,and family till he about killed my 2 year old Turken.Ripped her from the chest down. I sewed her up and she pulled through.In the mean time, I chopped the head right off that roo,I was soooo mad. It was my first cull too. A couple days later, the girls were layin like crazy,I was able to let my hen back to the flock and peace is back in the valley!

 

[gritsar]

Take the bully out and isolate her away from the flock in a dog crate or what have you for about a week. When you re-introduce her, her status in the flock should have gone way down and she'll be less likely to try her bullying routine.

 

[fordmommy]

Quote:
I did this for 2 days. I put my girl in a cage where she could see everyone and what was going on. Seperated by a fence. And at night I put "Big" on the perch with everyone else. By day 3....I put her back with everyone and she was fine.

 

[chicknchick]

Thanks for the ideas! While she is separated for the week, should I let her free range with the other girls when they are out or continue to keep her separated?

Does it seem strange that the bully picks on only one of the other girls? I would think that a bully would bully everyone. Not just one particular one.

 

[isabrownmom]

I have a hen (one of 6) in a crate in my garage, too. She was being picked on at first by the head honcho and then the others started in on her. Her head is healed and she has put weight back on (they chased her from the feeder) but I'm still afraid of putting her in with the others! I've thought of putting her back in at night (roosting time) and pulling the worst bully out for a about a week to see how things go but I'm still thinking poor Nellie needs more weight and time. She does appear lonely in her crate and "coos" to me when I take care of her, but I just don't think it would be fair to cull her when the others were being mean to her! My husband just shakes his head at me!!

 

[Bookworm chick]

Is the "bully" drawing blood? I'd keep an eye out for that and if there is blood, I'd remove her (the bloody one).
Chickens do have their pecking order and sometimes you have to just walk away.

Who ranks where in their order is sometimes puzzling to us.

 

[JakRat]

Quote:
I like this idea of chicken time out... to bad you cant make them face a corner

 

[ClairedeLune]

I have a white Cochin hen too and she's being bullied by my other hens... currently she's separated but I think I will have to find her a new home.