Picked on turned bully?!?!

[Courtburr]

I have a SL Wyandotte that has been tormented for months by my Black Stars. The back of her neck is bald and I had to get the purple goo to try protecting her. I just recently got rid of all 5 of the BS, primarily so I could introduce the two pullets I got last fall, but also because they were such mean birds. The young birds have been visible through the glass of the main coop for 4 months now, so they have had plenty of time to get used to seeing each other. I integrated them at night two days ago and have had to be on hall monitor duty ever since. It's been raining yesterday and today and the poor young birds just stand out in the rain as the two Wyandottes appear to be herding them clear of the coop and covered area in the run with their scratch block and dusting pan. Shockingly, it's the Wyandotte that was pecked on relentlessly that is being the bully to the newcomers. She's relentless and they're quite visibly scared of being anywhere in her vicinity. The young ones are
such calm, sweet birds and it really breaks my heart when they get thumped in the back of the head or jumped on and a beak-full of feathers pulled.

Anyone else have a hen that made this drastic jump from bottom to top? I get that with the removal of the BSs and addition of the new that the pecking order will need to be re-established, but never would have thought she'd try establishing dominance.

 

[RollTideChicken]

Go big or go home.
Like her attitude.
Started from the bottom now she's here.
But yea I suppose any time there is a social shake up anything is possible.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I have a splash Ameraucana that was picked on heavily. I'm not sure that she was truly at the bottom, but pretty close... she got pretty beat up over the short winter days when I was mostly only checking them after dark, and I just missed it when she got tail pecked pretty badly in the course of a few days.

Then here recently, when I sold most of the hens (went from 13 to 4) she started asserting herself over one of the faverolles...

She's not at the top, but I guess she saw the chance to stay off the bottom and took it...

At this point she's a bit of a cartoon, as she has a single pathetic tail feather, and I quite literally painted her back half with blu-kote to sort of help disguise her pecked over backside.... but she seems determined not to be at the bottom again, regardless of her silly appearance.

 

[Courtburr]

I broke down and put the pinless peepers on her....plastic chicken blinders. She still got one good whack in on the young silkie cross, so would say they're 99% effective thus far. With that, has anyone used the plastic peepers for this situation and then was able to remove them after a while? I'm not sure if I'm going to make things worse in the long run by being too cautious or if I should just let them have at each other. Scared if I don't do something, I'll go out to find a bloodied or dead bird.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Actually what she's doing makes sense. Because she was lower ranked before she doesn't want to end up below the new birds. My lowest ranked hen is the biggest bully to my pullets. However in my case I'm not interfering as no one's getting injured or chased out of the coop or away from food.

What does your set up look like, both coop and run? Photos would help a lot or a detailed description including dimensions. It helps immensely to have extra space while integrating, along with obstacles with obvious escape routes and multiple feeders/waterers.

 

[aart]

Actually what she's doing makes sense. Because she was lower ranked before she doesn't want to end up below the new birds. My lowest ranked hen is the biggest bully to my pullets. However in my case I'm not interfering as no one's getting injured or chased out of the coop or away from food.

What does your set up look like, both coop and run? Photos would help a lot or a detailed description including dimensions. It helps immensely to have extra space while integrating, along with obstacles with obvious escape routes and multiple feeders/waterers.

Took the words right outta my fingers!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I’ve had it here within my polish. My mother had a blue polish hen at her house that was the full on target from all her others. It got to the point that she thought she was going to get killed so removed her. I took her in and got her established with some of my polish girls & a polish cross hen. Polish cross hen has always been and still is the top hen. All was well and the new blue hen was the bottom of the pecking order. She was petrified of everything and stayed well out the way. One day though that all changed when one of my most quietest polish pecked the blue hen but she didn’t back down & fought back for the first time in her life. After that the new blue hen became second in command to the cross hen. They go around in a pair keeping the other 4 girls in order. Not that they really need it as they are such sweet little ladies at 5 years old! But it makes those 2 feel better!