Persistent vent pecker??

[LtDanFan]

the other day, i noticed blood in the nest box and more blood on the eggs than usual. I figured out which hen it was based on the fact that she had blood clots and her vent was actively being pecked by other chickens.
I spearated her. She has slept in a cardboard box in my house for the last 3 nights because i wanted to make sure she was ok and i didn’t want her to get pecked to death in the coop if she wasn’t. This morning, no blood, no scabs i can see and no apparent issues as she has been eating and drinking and fighting restraint normally.
I thought i’d try to reintroduce her to the flock this morning and while no one else cared, Dolly Carton (the bully) literally ran up to her right away and started pecking her vent to the point that she bled. I separated them again but am concerned about re-introduction. Has poor Zoie Eggchanel now become a target and if so who do i rehome?
Is the immediate attack despite no blood being present due to Dolly being unhinged (not in a human sense but in a chicken sense)? Does she remember that it happened before? I love my girls but have means i think to rehome a solitary girl if necessary. I am just not sure which one should go.
The rest of the flock is pretty peaceful except for the occasional squabble which has never turned violent so far.
Has the bullied girl (zoie) been sequestered for too long or not long enough?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Chickens start to vent pick generally for two reasons, one is because of a protein deficiency, the other is because they are bored or crowded. Once it starts it can be hard to stop. They will peck, and cannibalize, so it's important to not return her until you figure out what's going on.

A protein deficiency can be because you are feeding a lower protein ration like a layer, and are also feeding treats. I recommend finding a ration that is 18-20% protein and keep extras to a minimum. Treats should be protein rich if possible, at least until the situation improves.

If you chickens do not have enough room they will start pecking each other in an attempt to get rid of some members. So it's important to provide enough room so they all can get away from each other. It's also good to have places birds can get behind or go under to get away from others if necessary.

I personally would pick up some pin less peepers, and put them on any you see doing the pecking. Than I would check my ration and enlarge my set up if necessary.

Once one starts to peck it may be impossible to stop completely.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Once one starts to peck it may be impossible to stop completely.

Wanted to double-down on this point. It's demoralizing to hear, but it's true. I've gone through it firsthand. If the pin-less peepers don't do the trick, then you're faced with a tough decision.

I have successfully rehomed two feather pickers to a large, free-range flock. I was very transparent about WHY the birds were being rehomed. The combination of having a new flock to integrate with, along with more things to do as a free-range bird, completely removed the behavior.

If they hadn't stopped, they would have become soup.

 

[fldiver97]

I’ve adopted a wheaten Marans years ago that was a relentless bully in her flock. She never caused trouble at my place, quarantine and then having to go into an established flock left her low in the pecking order. She was the first adult hen I introduced by herself. She turned out to be a good flock member (she only had the bad habit of roosting in the rafters and waiting for me to open the big door to the yard…. She’d jump/fly right over my head. It was safer for me to just let them in the run and the open the run door. She was known as Amber, the flying chicken of doom )

 

[LtDanFan]

Thank you all for your answers. I feed an all flock formula and supplement with oyster shells and occasionally feed them back their eggshells (although, those usually go to the tortoises cause they love them). They only occasionally get snacks like greens but i give them a small pile of high protein scratch in the morning to encourage them to engage in normal behavior. They do get daily or nearly daily bugs. Feed is provided in 2 feeders, water is provided in 2 waterers, each on opposite ends of the chicken yard. They have free range of about a 4-500sq ft fenced yard and 2 pre-fad-coops-in-a-box during the day. At night, we lock the attached run doors for their safety but the door to the coops themselves are left open so they can come and go as they please. I really don’t see it as a space or nutrition or access to resources thing.
And its interesting to note that i previously had a hen which had a dirty vent, lost a bunch of feathers and has a pretty raw bum for a while and dolly did nothing about it. This came out of nowhere.
There is a chicken ladder and multiple toys in the yard and during decent weather, i will hang a head of cabbage or colorful peppers for enrichment. In less ideal weather, i spread it on the ground to let them chase and peck at it.
I also do things like pumpkins, gourds, etc to keep them occupied when i am not throwing things into the pen.

I was afraid that i may not be able to break her of this activity now that its started and since its only one hen doing it and one hen that’s the target, i don’t know whom to rehome. But Dolly has always been a dominant hen. She really only responds to the a rooster (the one i have is young still but she seems to respect him) and anyone that stands up to her but those that give in will face her wrath. Typical bully.
I will look into the pinless peepers but i am leaving for a week in 2 days, so will have to keep them separate until i come back.
I currently have a hen that was a bully in her previous flock but has been a perfect lady in mine. Perhaps the thing to do is rehome the bully because she is likely to pick a new target in her old flock but may be thrown off kilter just enough in a new one to change her attitude.

 

[Mrs. K]

How many chickens? How old are the chickens? I would rehome the bully, or the victim. However if the problem reoccurs, then get rid of the one you kept.

Some birds just do not work in certain flocks. Being raised together has almost no influence in adult behavior.

But do permanently remove one of the birds.

 

[LtDanFan]

How many chickens? How old are the chickens? I would rehome the bully, or the victim. However if the problem reoccurs, then get rid of the one you kept.

Some birds just do not work in certain flocks. Being raised together has almost no influence in adult behavior.

But do permanently remove one of the birds.

I have 15 total, and one is a roo. Im ok rehoming one or the other i just did not know which to rehome. i am afraid that if i take away the target, the bully will find another target. But if i get rid of the target, she will be a target in her new flock.
I adopted a former bully and she is perfectly polite in my flock now, so perhaps the solution is to rehome the bully and let her be brung down a few pegs?
Ages vary… for hens from 2.5 years (the bully’s age to 6 months) to about 5-6 months. Bullied girl is about a year, bullier is 2.5 years, rooster is about 5-6 mo.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes there's something wrong with a hen and that's why they become a target. Chickens are good at hiding illness. Perhaps something is going on, and a dominant hen is trying to remove her. Just a thought. I'd probably rehome the bully as it has a better chance of acclimating to another flock.

 

[LtDanFan]

Sometimes there's something wrong with a hen and that's why they become a target. Chickens are good at hiding illness. Perhaps something is going on, and a dominant hen is trying to remove her. Just a thought. I'd probably rehome the bully as it has a better chance of acclimating to another flock.

That was my thought but they’ve been together just over a year and i brought the bullied girl (zoie) into the house for a few days to see if things would reset. But as soon as i brought her out doll started pecking at her vent despite no one else caring. So far bullied (zoey) is thriving. She eats drinks and doesn’t like to be picked up. So she seems normal in other regards. Plus shes friendlyish.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have done it both ways. I had an older hen, 2-3 years. I had a rooster and pullet just get ugly with her on going. The victim hid out or was attacked. Before I did anything a predator got both the top and pullet. Peace reigned in the flock. The victim put on weight and confidence.

But the weird thing was, the following summer, a new rooster started harassing her again. This time I culled her, and peace was back.

So really I think it doesn’t matter which one you pick, but do cull one of them.