Need some advice on "pecking order"

[slordaz]

I have deduced that they are just like a bunch of kids some just forget kid stage and go straight for teenager lol, even in the brooder.

we put a divider in it as it was a small amount of chicks and the duckling, nice ones did get a bit more room allocated to them to explore and do things together, it only took them a day of having the divider in there to stop so they all had lots of room to run around and do things. now they have decided I am boss and they had better behave if they don't want restricted.

if they are mean and let to continue that way pretty soon they will figure they won and become meaner until you can't even get in the coup with them

 

[missgg62]

For dust bathing, Use an old tire, fill with sand. Build a nest box or use a dog crate. My girls share the nesting boxes.

 

[ASeaton]

Take the mean ones out. I'd keep them separated as well. 1 mean chicken in its own pen/coop. Keep them separated for 10 days. Don't even let them see the other chickens. After 10 days alone, they'll forget about the other birds. Introduce them 1 at at a time to the other birds. If they mean gals are mean again, separate them again for a longer time.

This is Queen Elsa. She recently got off her 10 day grounding. She's not acting like a jerk anymore. She was voilent before, trying to rip out feathers and injure. Most I've seen now is a little peck. Good luck!

 

[srbjordan]

Hi Everyone! I have always lurked this forum for advice and other great knowledge so I appreciate all the info! I live in Pacific Beach, CA and have 4 awesome hens that give me more than enough eggs. I am not 100% sure as to the breeds because to someone new like me, a lot of the chickens look the same. I have an Eglu Omlet coop with an attached 25 feet long by 5 feet wide run. Here are some pics. The first two are when I first got them and the third one is a recent one I happened to have. So there are a few pics for you. Now here is my problem. I have one hen ( black one) that constantly gets picked on by the others. When I bought all the hens they were from the same person and they told me she was a silkie. After a little bit of research she looks more like an Australorp. I'm probably wrong so please correct me if so. She is at the bottom of the pecking order. Whenever she in in the coop laying, the other hens go crazy and start making all sorts of noise. When I feed them they all chase her and sometimes jump on her back and attack her. She is very cute and kinds dumb and I'd hate it if this is actually causing her pain or hurting her. Some people have told me to get rid of her and get a new one but that will be difficult because she is my girlfriends favorite hen. Some people have told me to get rid of the other 3 and then get 3 more that are the same breed. Is there something I am doing wrong like mixing breeds that shouldn't be together? I have noticed that it has gotten worse over time and now it happens constantly. I'm hoping that this is normal and not causing any harm but I have a feeling that is not the case. If anyone has any solutions please let me know! I was up at about 5am and heard her running around the run trying to avoid the others so I have since let her hang out outside of the coop in the backyard. Please help! * My white chicken and the multi colored brown one are the two going after her. The orphington does not. Thank you!!

 

[8machines]

Hope everything works out for you!! I have had pretty good luck. I tried to get docile birds. If they are out foraging and peck a newer bird I give them a push and scold them. I have 4 more to introduce that are separated by a fence right now. With 14 I am done! Some of mine are over 3 years old. My problem is that my girls run over to the neighbors and wait for "goodies"!

 

[roseyred]

Thank you for your response! We got all 4 of them about a year ago and they were picked from the same coop of about 30 hens. At first they were all fine and everybody was happy. Then it started to get a little aggressive with just my white hen. Then after maybe 1 month the multi colored brown one started to do it occasionally. Now they're both doing it all the time. They will both chase her and usually jump on her back and attack her neck.

They all get plenty of food and water. At first I thought they were hungry so I started feeding them in the morning and mid afternoon and that didn't help. She doesn't have any scabs, blood or missing feathers.

She was outside of the coop all day and as soon as I put her back in they chased her, tackled her and then stood over her for 10 seconds then walked away so I pulled her back out and made a makeshift coop for her for the night.

I've seen some other people say it but defenitly seperate the aggressor(s) not the weak one. This only makes them an easier target. Also silkies are special in that a lot or chickens don't like them. Mine don't like my silkie so I keep her seperate except when they free range so she has distance to stay away from them

 

[slordaz]

This is where it takes some research about the breeds you want to mix, and willingness to try different things at any stage with them to control unwanted behaviors to nip it in the bud.

Some breeds are naturally docile and others are way aggressive then you you have the in betweens, we have 2 opringtons, 3 barred Plymouth rock , a bantam white silkie(yeah we finally found out what it was here) and a duckling in the brooder. No established flock so no momma hens or roosters, and it was actually the bantam that ended up in time out and now gets along great with the others.

just like with kids, you have to discourage behaviors that are not acceptable, they learn really quick and love to test boundries too

 

[Xtineart]

sometimes it can be jealousy that is causing her to get picked on a lot, especially if it is being done in view of you, as the higher hen(s) can be making a point that she is 'below' them and they feel she is getting more than her fair share of love and attentions from you, their rooster and are beating on her for that. My reason for wondering is when you say she's your GF's favourite. I know my gingerbeast used to get pecked on lots as she was such a sweet gentle bird all the local kids used to love on her most and give her treats and sit and cuddle with her, and if I'm honest so did I. My old betsy who is head of the coop used to watch all this and then act like a compete spoilt brat as soon as I put ginge back in with them, running over to peck her and chasing her from the food. Poor ginger looked like 'hey, what did I do????' all the time. Eventually I saw that they were jealous of her, and now if ginger gets treats I have to make a big show of giving even 'better' treats to the head birds. If I lift her for cuddles, then my head birds, especially betsy, have to get lifted and cuddled too, and for a teeny bit longer.

A few days of doing this and the fighting had almost stopped. Yes ginge still gets the odd peck if she looks like she's going to get first bite at the lettuce, or is lying in the dust bath when betsy wants in, but mostly they get along quite happily and I find them all huddled in the dust pit together being friends.

Try making your 2 brats feel 'special' even if it feels counter-intuitive as they might just be hitting out because they feel your black bird is getting more than her fair share of loving from you.

best of luck to you and your flock x

 

[Cyrus83]

This is my mean bird segregation pen.

 

[SkyWorld]

One thing to consider with chickens is that they think like a chicken and you are part of their chicken world, hence you are also in their pecking order too. Kinda like a rooster that brings the goodies and makes them bond to you in a special way so that they don't want certain chickens to be part of the dominate group. Just normal chicken behavior of survival stuff and making sure that the top bird gets the best of every thing and the "weaker bird" gets what's left over.
My top bird of the pecking order, Toph. Sometimes she tries to boss me around, but she finds out real quick that I am in charge.