Please Help...Did I do the right thing? Naughty hen removed...

[Lunachick]

I've posted about this situation just recently and was hoping for a good outcome. Well, it got worse. To make a long story short....I have a small flock of 6 chooks, 3 older hens and 3 that are 10 months old. One of the younger ones started to attack an older hen that was very docile and very much loved by the other two older hens.

Anyway, it got to the point there was blood being splattered on the coop walls by Tallulah attacking the comb of Pearl. (older hen) I found myself outside in the cold watching how it was going, and it wasn't good. At one point another young hen Maudette started to go along with Tallulah against Pearl. Well, after 3 days of it not getting better, I had to make a decision, and I was torn on whether I should isolate Pearl and put her in the "baby coop" (which is alongside the regular coop with a connecting door) with another hen so she wouldn't be alone, OR put the perp and her sidekick in the other pen.

Why should Pearl be isolated? I put the two perps - Tallulah and Maudette into the other smaller pen and closed it off so Pearl and the other 3 could retain some kind of peace. So far, it's been OK. Tallulah is making a fuss, but I don't care about that. I feel bad, because she was a baby that I raised, but she got SO MEAN !! Especially towards an older hen that I really care for.

My question: Did I do the right thing? Should it have been the other way around? I know Pearl is enjoying her freedom within the flock again. But did I mess up the dynamics of the flock? Should Tallulah be separated like that? They can see each other. And most importantly, if this would work, HOW LONG does it take to break the mind set of a chicken hell bent on trying to seek Pearl's spot? Will I "break" her this way? If this even works??????? I swear, this should be a soap opera....

Does anyone have any experience with a situation like this? Any suggestions? I would appreciate any advice!




And...........NO, I will not put the offending hen in a stew pot.

 

[ecocheapomom]

I just did a similar move today. I have had two of my girls living in the garage for a few weeks because one of them was getting pecked so badly that she was bleeding quite a bit and had lost many, many feathers. I put her in with a nice friend and I am waiting till some of her feathers grow back before reintroducing her. I have been very consicous to add more calcium and protein to the hens diets and also to give them some amusement. I hang a cabbage, put up some suet, spread hay over the snow and throw out some cracked corn. I had my suspicions that most of the feather picking and eating was coming from one hen, but today I caught her getting aggressive with just about everyone and decided to seperate her. I had read that a few days away from the flock will give a chance for the pecking order to reshuffle and hopefully knock her down a few notches. She is now in a dog crate in the garage where she can see my other two that are on the mend. I also hope I did the right thing. Who knew that raising chickens would be so much like high school?

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
You stole my Idea, put the bad hen in the juvinille pen, and dont let her out. Or put her in with the Turkeys for a while, they will knock some sense into her. Maybe she needs to be in the coop with the guineas, they will teach her a thing or two. Just choose a different spot for her, and either she stays in the new place, or try to reintroduce her back with the main flock in a couple days and see if she learned anything. I would bring the 2 bad ones back one at a time, so its not a twosome joining the flock but one at a time.

P.S. what kind of name is Tullulah, maybe thats the problem.

 

[crtrlovr]

I'm like you; I wouldn't put the offender in a pot no matter what they did.

If the separation does not work (after a SLOW reintroduction), try the pinless peepers or something that will keep her from seeing the others in the same way. I've not had the need to use them here, but it would certainly be worth a try, IMHO. Good luck with re-establishing peace & tranquility...

 

[Lunachick]

Quote:
P.S. what kind of name is Tullulah, maybe thats the problem.

Well, now she deserves that name if that's whats bothering her! She is in a separate pen with her sidekick for now. So, a few days should do it? I was thinking of 2 weeks. Yeah, I'm mean. I'm so ticked......I had my coat pockets armed with acorns, and when they were out and about and Tallulah went after Pearl I was practicing my aim!

 

[Lunachick]

Quote:
Oh! That's an idea.....with the peepers. good back up plan.

When you say SLOW reintroduction, how much time you talking about? Exactly..?

 

[Preservation Acres]

Not sure if this will work, but here's an idea for you. If you've ever seen people who raise game cocks, they keep them tied, by the leg, to a grounded point to keep the roosters from killing each other. You can introduce her into the run that way for a while. She'll be in there, but Pearl can easily get out of her reach.

 

[silkiechick05]

P.S. what kind of name is Tullulah, maybe thats the problem. wink

LOL

Yes, I agree. I think Tullulah is taking her Indian ancestry into serious consideration and is working on animal sacrificing Pearl.

IMO