ostracized hen

[jbelt]

I have four hens left in my little flock of brown sex links. For the past 10 months they were inseparable, free-ranging all over. In the last month I have noticed that one is constantly in the nest box, and the other hens have ostracized her. They chase and peck at her whenever she is out of the coop. They all used to perch together, but now it seems as if she is not allowed to be part of the flock. She doesn't appear to be sick, but she is definately chicken-non-grata. For a while she would sit on any eggs that were laid, but now the other hens lay in another box. Don't know if I should let this go on, or take matters into my own hands; so to speak. Any ideas?

 

[egmcvey]

I have a flock of 12 hens and 1 rooster. Last week the very same thing started happening to one of the hens. She's constantly being harassed by the others. I have removed her from them. She's on the backporch in a chicken hutch by herself and she loves it. I work so she's in the hutch until I get home at lunchtime for an hour. Then she goes back inside the hutch until when I get home that evening. I let her out for the evening until dark. I have to be outside w/her so the others won't attack her. She is a healthy chicken, other than the peck marks on her bald back! If anyone has any ideas please help.

 

[jbelt]

So I made a nice cage with a mesh bottom and put my broody hen in jail. Hopefully she will lay an egg soon so she can go free. I should have realized she was broody. Part of the learning process I guess. Thanks BYC for enlightening me.

 

[bluerooster2]

I noticed my red hen was being picked on, badly, by the other hens in my flock. I was afraid they were going to kill her. At first I moved her in to another coop at night, letting her out to free range with the rest during the day. She kept a lot of distance, roaming around by herself most of the time. One day I noticed one of the barred rocks charging at her to chase her away from the oats I'd thrown out for them. I continued to observe over the course of a few days, and it was consistent. It was always a barred rock whenever there was a problem. I put three of the four barred rocks in separate cages, and last night, the red hen went peacefully in to roost with the flock. I'm not sure how long to keep the mean girls in isolation, but this solution appears promising.