Pecking order, bullying

[MrsChickenPam]

Looking for chicken advice.... I have six 16-month old hens, all are laying well. Lacey definitely rules the roost and Mrs. Flores is at the bottom of the pecking order. She's a MESS! Has had no feathers on her back or head for several months now, thanks to Lacey. I was hoping they'd work it out, but so for.... not so much.

Mrs. Flores still eats and lays normally, but she is one frightened lady! Spends most of her time hiding in the henhouse (not the laying box, she is not broody). When I come with treats, she hangs out on the top of the ramp, nervously eyeing Lacey, and then quickly darts down to grab a morsel and then runs back up. If Lacey even LOOKS at her, she lays down and allows Lacey to stand on top of her, pecking at her.

Should I intervene (and how) or just let the chicken sociology have its way?

 

[Chickadeeee]

I think the best way to keep flock-bullying to a minimum is taking away opportunities for the bullying. You're going to have a pecking order no matter what, but when a hen starts losing her feathers, things have gone too far! Watch your chicken's everyday activities, and you'll see that there are plenty of opportunities for the top hens to pick on the bottom birds. How are your feeder and waterer built? Can only a few birds fit at it at once? During feeding time, the top hens could be forcing their way to the front, hence getting the most food. Do you have roosts? If roosts are placed in the coop in a staggered pattern (which most are), the bossiest hens will get the top roosts, the meeker birds getting the bottom ones. From the top roosts, the hens will peck the feathers out of the lower birds, creating partially bare backs! I have witnessed situations like this in friends' flocks, and before starting mine, I built my chicken coop with roosts level to one another and spaced far enough apart, and made sure to acquire large feeders and waters so that the entire flock could dine at once. My birds are only a few months old now, and no pecking order is evident. I'm hoping that the steps I've taken will prevent brutal bullying within my flock—fingers crossed! I hope this helps.

 

[MrsChickenPam]

Good advice, thanks! My feed and water are circular w/ plenty of room all around, but my roosts ARE staggard. I think I might just try removing one (they're plenty long for all) and see if that helps.

But I spend a lot of time just sitting, watching. And Lacey is pretty much a bully all the time. It's weird, Mrs. Flores will sometimes lay down even when Lacey hasn't approached her. And then just wait for Lacey to come mount her and bite her neck. Poor thing.