Overly aggressive hen

[TreeChick]

Hi friends,
I am struggling with one of my hens, Pepper - she’s about 1 year old and Australorp chicken who is being very very aggressive to 2 newly introduced birds. The first new bird (Cookie) was introduced slowly over a number of months and has been in the flock now since September. The second new bird (Bean) a rescue was introduced in December of last year after about a month of quarantine - I rescued her from a shelter. The days are easy for both new birds - Cookie eats, flocks and dust bathes with all other birds in the flock pretty seamlessly (there’s 5 other hens including Pepper). Bean - the newer newbie - she hasn’t fully been accepted still gets chased and pecked by most of the other girls during the day but nothing serious and I don’t intervene with the day time quibbles. I always have two sources of food and water in the pen FYI.
The problem is nighttime - Pepper (the issue hen) acts like coop bouncer sitting in the doorway of the coop and pecking to prevent Cookie and Bean from entering or chases them around the coop itself once they get past her - pinning, pulling feathers... she ripped Bean’s comb last week drawing blood... after this I isolated and treated Beans comb for several days.
I now go out to the coop to monitor every night but that seems to stress Pepper out even more! She sees me and gets nervous and won’t settle on the roost and let the 2 other girls get in the coop but if I’m not nearby she torments them and is truly cruel...
Should I isolate Pepper - the mean girl? It’s so frustrating!!

 

[nuthatched]

Isolate pepper for a few days away from the flock.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hi friends,
I am struggling with one of my hens, Pepper - she’s about 1 year old and Australorp chicken who is being very very aggressive to 2 newly introduced birds. The first new bird (Cookie) was introduced slowly over a number of months and has been in the flock now since September. The second new bird (Bean) a rescue was introduced in December of last year after about a month of quarantine - I rescued her from a shelter. The days are easy for both new birds - Cookie eats, flocks and dust bathes with all other birds in the flock pretty seamlessly (there’s 5 other hens including Pepper). Bean - the newer newbie - she hasn’t fully been accepted still gets chased and pecked by most of the other girls during the day but nothing serious and I don’t intervene with the day time quibbles. I always have two sources of food and water in the pen FYI.
The problem is nighttime - Pepper (the issue hen) acts like coop bouncer sitting in the doorway of the coop and pecking to prevent Cookie and Bean from entering or chases them around the coop itself once they get past her - pinning, pulling feathers... she ripped Bean’s comb last week drawing blood... after this I isolated and treated Beans comb for several days.
I now go out to the coop to monitor every night but that seems to stress Pepper out even more! She sees me and gets nervous and won’t settle on the roost and let the 2 other girls get in the coop but if I’m not nearby she torments them and is truly cruel...
Should I isolate Pepper - the mean girl? It’s so frustrating!!

Yes, if I was you I would take the mean girl out for a week or so and then see how she behaves.

 

[TreeChick]

Ok I will try this, do you think it is important that she is isolated in a way she can’t see the main pen/flock? I only ask because I have her isolated now but it’s in a run that’s installed directly beside the main area - I use this area to integrate new birds so they’re close by and visual and still separate. I can find a further away isolation if being totally isolated is more important though.

Isolate pepper for a few days away from the flock.

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, you might have you isolate out of view.

 

[oldhen2345]

Hi friends,
I am struggling with one of my hens, Pepper - she’s about 1 year old and Australorp chicken who is being very very aggressive to 2 newly introduced birds. The first new bird (Cookie) was introduced slowly over a number of months and has been in the flock now since September. The second new bird (Bean) a rescue was introduced in December of last year after about a month of quarantine - I rescued her from a shelter. The days are easy for both new birds - Cookie eats, flocks and dust bathes with all other birds in the flock pretty seamlessly (there’s 5 other hens including Pepper). Bean - the newer newbie - she hasn’t fully been accepted still gets chased and pecked by most of the other girls during the day but nothing serious and I don’t intervene with the day time quibbles. I always have two sources of food and water in the pen FYI.
The problem is nighttime - Pepper (the issue hen) acts like coop bouncer sitting in the doorway of the coop and pecking to prevent Cookie and Bean from entering or chases them around the coop itself once they get past her - pinning, pulling feathers... she ripped Bean’s comb last week drawing blood... after this I isolated and treated Beans comb for several days.
I now go out to the coop to monitor every night but that seems to stress Pepper out even more! She sees me and gets nervous and won’t settle on the roost and let the 2 other girls get in the coop but if I’m not nearby she torments them and is truly cruel...
Should I isolate Pepper - the mean girl? It’s so frustrating!!

Try isolating Pepper for a few days- and nights. If this doesn't work, she may need to be rehomed. I had to part with my very favorite hen because of such shenanigans. I have one now that will be going as soon as my cousin gets her coop up and running.

 

[TreeChick]

Try isolating Pepper for a few days- and nights. If this doesn't work, she may need to be rehomed. I had to part with my very favorite hen because of such shenanigans. I have one now that will be going as soon as my cousin gets her coop up and running.

Oh wow - I hope it doesn’t get to the point of rehoming but I appreciate the perspective and advice. I will try isolating her starting today through the weekend and see how it goes after that.

 

[TreeChick]

Yes, you might have you isolate out of view.

Thank you!

 

[aart]

How big is your coop. in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics, inside and out, would help here.

 

[TreeChick]

How big is your coop. in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics, inside and out, would help here.

The coop is 3ft x 5ft of ‘sleeping area’ (this measurement is without the 3 nesting boxes which stick off one side). There are two roosts each 38 inches long - one is 12 inches off the floor and the other is 16inches off the floor. There are 7 birds in the coop at night. So slightly more than 2sq ft per bird which is a little on the tight side. They have an enormous run 16x23ft and then I let them free roam the yard most days for a few hours which is about 3times the size of the run.
Attaching some pictures here of the coop. One of the outside and one from the back with the big doors open to see the interior space. Henrietta my sweet EE is observing first from the platform that leads up to the door from below then on the lower roosting bar