Personality change in meek hen

[azygous]

My two-year old Buff Brahma hen Joycie has been segregated for the past six weeks in a small pen adjacent to the main run. All her life, even after four new chicks were added last summer, she's been bottom of the pecking order. Consequently, she has looked pretty raggedy most all her life, so I wanted to give her a chance to grow her feathers back in without having them yanked as soon as they emerged as pin feathers. Conveniently, she has been molting and hasn't needed to lay.

This morning she wanted into the main run. It was the sort of "I need to lay an egg" urgency. When I let her into the run, she made a beeline for the coop and immediately challenged the occupant of her favorite nest box, Judy. Even though there is an identical nest right next to it, both hens wanted the same one.

A scuffle ensued where Joycie jumped up and literally dragged Judy out of the nest by her comb. This is a heavy hen who has trouble jumping onto a perch at night any higher than six inches.

Has anyone noticed if segregating am insecure hen results in a personality change?

After laying her egg, she wasn't any more inclined to share the nest, biting Judy on the head when she stuck her head in.

 

[sourland]

She feels healthy, has spent a month and a half building self confidence, and is unwilling to settle for her previous position in the pecking order. Absolutely normal behavior. Chicken society can be brutal and those on the bottom are always looking for a chance to advance themselves.

 

[azygous]

Wow! This was one effect I wasn't expecting. My goal was to let her grow her feathers back and to give her a vacation from the constant abuse she suffers. I sure didn't bank on her gaining self confidence. I have always half joked that Joycie had no self esteem.

It's as if she's announcing there's a new kid on the block. I wonder if I should put her back into the population now or give her some more time alone. Her feathers are at a sort of halfway stage,just beginning to flair out at the tips.