New onset bullying

[whittleah]

My flock is about a year old. All the same age and have been getting along great. Yesterday I noticed the rooster and some of the hens harassing anyone of the black stars. I broke it up, but it happened again today and she ended up flying over the fence. So I just let her free range for the day. The bullying is coming from the entire flock. They gang up on her and chase her and peck her eyes and comb. They’ve all been totally happy together for almost a year. What would cause this to start happening now??

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Following. Mine just started picking on my orp, and she is my favorite. They are attacking her and she has been bleeding on her comb

 

[DobieLover]

Changes in her normal behavior typically bring this kind of thing on.
It can come from coming into lay, going broody or being ill. Sometimes just being very different in appearance from the rest of the flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

There is rather a fallacy that chickens raised together will be life long friends. There are several posts like yours where everything was peachy and then it wasn't.

It really doesn't matter why - it is, and the question is, what can you do about it?

• multiple feed bowls - cause I bet she is not getting enough. The feed bowls need to be set up, so that they are hidden from chickens eating at another feed station.
• take a look at your run - is there clutter in it, where a bird can get away and out of sight of other birds?
• reduce the flock - often times there is one mean hen, and others follow and get their licks in. Or sometimes, the victim seems to bring on herself. Remove either one of them and see how things act.
• pin -less peepers help a lot of people keep chickens in smaller set ups

You can decide what you want to do, but you have to do something, because they seldom go back.

Mrs K

 

[whittleah]

Changes in her normal behavior typically bring this kind of thing on.
It can come from coming into lay, going broody or being ill. Sometimes just being very different in appearance from the rest of the flock.

I've temporarily separated her from the rest of the flock so I can watch her for a week or two and make sure she isn't ill. Hopefully that's not the issue and I can figure out how assimilate her back in. She spent the evening following me around the yard and happily scratching in the garden. She seems very happy and alert. I have not yet been able to find any signs of a physical ailment.

 

[whittleah]

There is rather a fallacy that chickens raised together will be life long friends. There are several posts like yours where everything was peachy and then it wasn't.

It really doesn't matter why - it is, and the question is, what can you do about it?

• multiple feed bowls - cause I bet she is not getting enough. The feed bowls need to be set up, so that they are hidden from chickens eating at another feed station.
• take a look at your run - is there clutter in it, where a bird can get away and out of sight of other birds?
• reduce the flock - often times there is one mean hen, and others follow and get their licks in. Or sometimes, the victim seems to bring on herself. Remove either one of them and see how things act.
• pin -less peepers help a lot of people keep chickens in smaller set ups

You can decide what you want to do, but you have to do something, because they seldom go back.

Mrs K

Thank you! We have a large movable coop and portable fencing to give them a large foraging area. Everything gets moved to fresh ground several times a week. I have two feeding stations with enough space for three chickens at each, but they are both in the main coop. I will try adding another bowl of feed somewhere out of the main area. I sat out near the coop for a while this morning and really wasn't able to figure out which was the main bully. They are all involved. Even the rooster, which is surprising because he is the sweetest, most docile rooster I've ever had and loves his ladies. I removed her temporarily to keep her safe until I can figure out what the next step should be.

 

[Mrs. K]

While everyone tends to feel sorry for the victim, sometimes pulling her out is the easiest solution. If she is laying she should be easy to sell.

What I am really saying is for whatever reason, I do not see her going back into flock without a huge amount of fiddling around, and even with that - it might not work. Once their confidence is gone, it is hard to get it back, although there is an article on here where a person kept a bird separate but with them for months - and she finally got over the victim mode.

Mrs K

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Mine only started doing this when they all started laying again. Ive tried seperating. But i know who the main bully is. And the one being bullied is my favorite chicken. I will use some of the tips said above and see if it helps for me.

 

[whittleah]

While everyone tends to feel sorry for the victim, sometimes pulling her out is the easiest solution. If she is laying she should be easy to sell.

What I am really saying is for whatever reason, I do not see her going back into flock without a huge amount of fiddling around, and even with that - it might not work. Once their confidence is gone, it is hard to get it back, although there is an article on here where a person kept a bird separate but with them for months - and she finally got over the victim mode.

Mrs K

At this point I have her free ranging, and she couldn't be happier. We have a large property with lots of woods and underbrush. I'm considering letting her be our yard chicken, bring her in at night and otherwise allowing her to live her life as she wishes.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

At this point I have her free ranging, and she couldn't be happier. We have a large property with lots of woods and underbrush. I'm considering letting her be our yard chicken, bring her in at night and otherwise allowing her to live her life as she wishes.

let us know how this goes. one of my hens would be perfectly fine with taking her chances with mother natures beasts rather than her flock mates.