Please Advise: Fighting Hens

[Davaroo]

Ive neber had them fight for al long as you say yours are. Do try the new shuffle and see what gives.

 

[dustbath]

Actually, I haven't had them together much. I tried twice and panicked both times fairly quickly. I understand from your advice, and others', that they have to do this but it looks fairly brutal.

I'll try switching them.

Another angle is that I have a visiting rooster who wanders around the backyard during the day. As a result, I've kept my birds in the run, except the separated hen, who I let out with the new rooster, as I don't have anywhere else to keep her. I don't know if this changes anything. I think she initiates the fights.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
It may come to just letting them have at it.

 

[dustbath]

This afternoon I failed to latch the door separating the two living areas and the single hen got into the general area. I was away for about 2 and half hours and when I returned, the two hens were fighting and looked as if they had been at it for hours. Their heads are red, as if they have been bleeding, although I can't find any bleeding wounds now. They are both exhausted and when I took the separated hen away, the other one went right into the nesting box.

Is this hopeless? Should I have left them, despite the signs of bleeding?

 

[Davaroo]

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No, I'd say you handled it well. But round two awaits... take a deep breath.

 

[dustbath]

Really?? I should let them at each other again?

 

[Davaroo]

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What are your other options?

 

[warren]

I have 2 youngsters and a nearly 3 year old. The 3 year old attacked the two youngsters and hated them from day 1, so I kept them separated by chicken wire for over a month so that they could only see each other. She would peck them through the wire if they got too close. Gradually the attacks got less violent and I let them have short supervised get-togethers every few days. I stood between them so that she could not attack and we have now got to the stage when I can leave them together unsupervised all day, but I still put the agressive one in a crate on her own at night. It has taken over 6 weeks to get to this stage and I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. I never let them draw blood as the older hen was involved in killing a new flock mate at her old home. I can only suggest patience, time, and don't let them do any damage to each other.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

What is she were to interview and push the attacking hen back herself when it came for the hen? I did that with one of mine and kept doing it until she stopped attacking the other one. And if she bit I would flick her beek with my finger nail. They were only seven weeks old but would this work with older hens?

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
There, in a nutshell, is the solution.
You can try temporary separation and intervention and all the other methods. Try them all, in fact. But in the end it is gonna take time.

There is a final solution I've been avoiding, hoping for a lessening of hostilities. That solution is to CULL the offending hen.
In large flocks, the issues of dominance are lessened. In a small group, the opposite is true.
CULL does not automatically mean kill, mind you. It can be permanent separation or rehoming. But consider it a last resort.