Pecking order:Mean Hen

[MicheleE]

We have been introducing 5 new chicks (10 weeks old) to our existing flock of 4 chickens (2 RIR and 2 Ameraucanas). The top RIR has been getting pretty mean and the chicks are terrified of her. Tonight the top RIR pecked the smallest chick (it's a bantam and a rooster) to the point that the chick has a huge lump on his head and is not moving. We would like to get rid of this hen because of the strife she is causing. My question is, once she is gone, will another hen "take over" and start harassing the chicks? This RIR has gotten progressively more aggressive, especially since the chicks have been on the scene. She will even chase our 10 pound puppy. We did a slow introduction of the chicks, keeping both groups together but isolated. Thank you for your help.

 

[gritsar]

I would suggest before you get rid of her to try a timeout in chicken jail. Basically isolate her somewhere where she cannot see or hear the rest of the flock for a few days, perhaps a week. This should accomplish two things. #1. It will knock her down a few pegs on the pecking order ladder and #2. it will give you the chance to see if the next highest hen is going to be as bossy.

 

[Imp]

What Gritsar said and I kinda think 10 weeks old is too little to be in with adult hens that are not mom.

Imp- I had to knock down my head hen. A week inside all alone straightened her right out.

 

[kimb]

I actually put my hen in timeout ... where she can see everyone ! but she can't interact... she was fenced in the small pen, while everyone was allowed out to roam - (she was NOT happy) and then put in a small section of the coop at night- where she saw the others high up on the roost ... kept her like this for a month ... then started letting her out during the day to free range.. but at night was tucked away in her "pen" ... for a week ...
Everyone gets a long well now, she's still "bossy" but NOT nasty like she was ... I ended up making 3 "individual" roosts in 3 separate corners out of 'pecking' reach of the lower roosts ... (she would still peck at them if they were on her roost with her, or below her) ... now she's happy on her high roost (my cochin girls like their middle roost and don't argue at all) and there are 2 other individual roosts should someone feel they want to be superior ...

I'd give it a whorl

... but I do think that someone is always going to be the "boss hen" ... and your chicks might still be too young to be totally integrated with them ... or integrated with them at all ... I'd probably have them in an area where they can socialize through a fence (for quite some time) ...

good luck!