Poor Pittiful Hen....

[mama2many]

I have a EE who is being bullied. She until recently was very out going and friendly, today I had to go into the coop to get her for breakfast. She had a best friend, Susie, but now she picks on her too. The rooster is after her and atleast 3 of the other hens. Could there be something wrong with her? She is a sweety and my son's favorite. I just don't know what could have caused this change. She roosts at the top and tonight was beside the rooster on the roost. Is she just having a bad couple of days???

 

[Qi Chicken]

I have the same situation. I think that my ee is closest to egg laying, she sticks close to the roo that protects her from the other one. But she doesn't want to go out much. Looks at the nest boxes a lot? I don't know. I worry about her too though.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

What I do with bullied chickens: Put them in their own area, name them Little Girl and pet them until they come when I call them.

 

[HeatherLynn]

How old are they. Is the roo after her in a mating way or just being mean and chasing her off? Some of those hens get a bit pissy about anyone getting around their Roo. I have 3 that will chase other hens off in a heart beat. I had to check the roos legs and I had hens attacking me. So maybe jealousy.

Or she could be closest to sexual maturity. If she is ready to breed and they are not could cause some issues. Roo would be after her 24/7 because she is the only one available. Really depends on exactly how they are acting.

If they are older I would grab the dominant hen and seperate her, not the picked on one. I had a super dominant adult hen. She was the ring leader I swear. She would pick a victim and they all went after them after that. She died suddenly and all of a sudden the ones who fought the most are now sharing perches and getting along fine. For now fights in the chicken yard are not happening. Removing that dominant hen and then reintroducing her in a couple weeks kinda puts her in her place. She loses her seniority spot.