New to chickens & we have a bully it seems. Help!

[JacinLarkwell]

Believe it or not, Bantams can easily rule over standards in the pecking order. I've got a little d'Anvers hen that absolutely terrifies the larger birds when she's mad at then, and she's like 1/4 their size

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had separation work a couple of times to change behaviors. One time a hen was plucking feathers from a rooster's neck. Both mature birds, she just started one day for no apparent reason. I locked him up for a couple of days, when I released him things were OK. Since she was laying eggs I locked him up, I did not want to break her from the habit of laying in a nest.

Another time a two week old chick killed a sibling. Pecked the head until the chick was dead. They were hatched together and raised together, no integration. Then that chick started pecking another siblings head so I isolated the killer chick for the day. It was pretty miserable by itself all day. Good! I put it back with the broody hen and the other chicks that night and it was OK after that. I did watch closely for a while.

I don't know why that chick started pecking the others. Drawing blood like that is dangerous. Separating like that is exactly what I'd try. Good luck!

 

[YelleBean]

It sounds like she was bottom of the pecking order and is trying to move up, the others will be resentful, there will be a bit of pecking but at 4 weeks is the best time to sort out these things. Once they get older, bigger and stronger they can also do more damage.
Her drawing blood is no good though but time out won't stop it happening. Only if the other chickens get a bit bigger. At least it would stop it happening temporarily to let the others heal..
You can try using a spray bottle and watch them and spray it every time it acts aggressively. I find that works better than time out but is more time consuming.

Thanks for the info. My 5 year old actually went in the coop today and accidentally let her back in with the other ladies and she did great for about 45 minutes and then began to really harass the others. So much so that they seem to try and avoid her or even being close to her. I’d they lay down she comes up behind them or next to them and gives them a peck and if they don’t respond, she’ll do it again, but harder it seems. I was going to leave her in with them, but being that they all really seem almost frightened, I put her back in chicken time out. I fear they not letting them sort it out now might not be good because they will soon all outgrow her, but I also don’t want them all being miserable while she’s in there with them.

 

[YelleBean]

Believe it or not, Bantams can easily rule over standards in the pecking order. I've got a little d'Anvers hen that absolutely terrifies the larger birds when she's mad at then, and she's like 1/4 their size

That’s the current vibe I’m getting here. The other girls are younger than her by a couple weeks so I don’t know that has anything to do with it, but it’s so weird that this started 2 weeks into them being together. It’s almost like as soon as she has a free moment she looks to see who she can scare!

 

[YelleBean]

That’s the current vibe I’m getting here. The other girls are younger than her by a couple weeks so I don’t know that has anything to do with it, but it’s so weird that this started 2 weeks into them being together. It’s almost like as soon as she has a free moment she looks to see who she can scare!

 

[Chicks in VA]

my hens did that too, but we put them in a cage next to the rest of the flock for 2 weeks and they don't fight any more. Just be careful of predators

 

[YelleBean]

I've had separation work a couple of times to change behaviors. One time a hen was plucking feathers from a rooster's neck. Both mature birds, she just started one day for no apparent reason. I locked him up for a couple of days, when I released him things were OK. Since she was laying eggs I locked him up, I did not want to break her from the habit of laying in a nest.

Another time a two week old chick killed a sibling. Pecked the head until the chick was dead. They were hatched together and raised together, no integration. Then that chick started pecking another siblings head so I isolated the killer chick for the day. It was pretty miserable by itself all day. Good! I put it back with the broody hen and the other chicks that night and it was OK after that. I did watch closely for a while.

I don't know why that chick started pecking the others. Drawing blood like that is dangerous. Separating like that is exactly what I'd try. Good luck!

Thank you for the insight! Oh how awful about your chick!! Terrible and it’s just mystifying that all of the sudden, they can turn on each other. She was alone for a full 2 days and today when my daughter accidentally let her back in with the others and I rolled with it. She was fine until 45 minutes later she began to just find a chicken to peck. I would have let it go had it been just a single peck and then she walked away, but she peck once and if they don’t move or she doesn’t get reaction she find another spot on them whether it be their neck, behind or side to then peck harder and then eventually they don’t want to be around her. I just feel bad for her because she is so sweet and seems to love people, but she just picks on everyone and I am honestly surprised because everyone I talked to before getting a Mille d’uccle said they were the sweetest and best disposition and normally very laid back. None of the other girls (7) seems to really get in any scuffles so far, but they seem relieved when she isn’t there.

 

[YelleBean]

my hens did that too, but we put them in a cage next to the rest of the flock for 2 weeks and they don't fight any more. Just be careful of predators

I feel like that’s my only real option at this point. I just worry because I know she’ll be smaller than the rest being a bantam and I know they’ll eventually be larger than her and I’ve felt like I’ll make it harder for her to integrate, but I suppose it really needs to be done!