Problem hen! Little helpful advice please!

[lildivasmama]

This is my first foray into keeping chickens this year. In late March I bought 4 laying hens for my farm. A month later I put the chicks in the coop that I had been raising in the house. Everything went great except for one hen who was very vocal about her opinion. One month later I still have a problem with this one hen.
I understand there is a pecking order but she is just out of control. The queen of the coop Matilda, & the other older ladies, allow my littles to eat after she does...great. But 2nd in command the tyrant Henny Penny will eat and then spend her time running the littles away. Today we had a snow storm and she keeps running the littles out of the coop into the storm.
Now my chickens are completely free range. Usually the big ladies are off in the old cattle corrals foraging while the littles stay near the coop, which is perfect. But as soon as Henny Penny gets around the littles she spends 75% of her time chasing them and just.....bitching.
Im at my wits end with her. She keeps all the other chickens stressed out. Right now, I have her locked in a roomy dog crate I was using as an alternative nesting box in hopes of it becoming a little brooder. She has food & water. I dont feel bad at all. I even use "aromatherapy" with fresh herbs in the coop & nest boxes and put jst a bit xtra lavender to calm.her. And all the other chickens have chilled out and seem soooo much happier. Even the older ladies. I will be itroducing a few more chicks in a few weeks & I jst dont think 4 or 5 eggs a week is worth the trouble right now when I jst give a dozen away every other week anyway.

What do I do here?
Go ahead and cull her like Im seriously contemplating...
See if I can find a home?
Jst see what happens?
Im strssed because my chickens are stressed....not fun

 

[MySweetChickens]

you can separate her and reintroduce her like a new chicken later or it might be in the best interest of the flock to cull her

 

[Judy]

The usual way to deal with a "bully" is separate her so that she is out of sight and earshot of the flock for at least a week, then return her, so you're at least on the right track. She should then be considered a stranger so at the bottom of the pecking order. But nothing works every time.

Of course, the problem is, there is always a lead hen, and she will always have some bullying type behavior. it's just a matter of how bad it is, and what your tolerance is. Again, rule of thumb, if blood is not drawn, it's OK -- especially if they have more than one feeding station available.

Good luck!

 

[donrae]

One of the rules of living on my little acre is Thou Shalt Get Along With Everyone Else. If an animal doesn't do that, I sell them. You can pretty much always find a taker for a laying hen.


following that rule, I'm seriously contemplating trying to sell my teenage son

Guess maybe the rule doesn't apply to bipeds?

 

[duckinnut]

following that rule, I'm seriously contemplating trying to sell my teenage son

Guess maybe the rule doesn't apply to bipeds?

Like chickens you raise them from babies, feed them house and care for them but that being said you can get more for a teenage chicken than you can for a teenage child. And chickens give back just about every day. You feed and water them you get an egg. A teenager, got to pry them out of bed and moving a mountain is easier than getting them to do something. But in the end you still love them even though you think they are trying to put you in the grave.

 

[lildivasmama]

One of the rules of living on my little acre is Thou Shalt Get Along With Everyone Else. If an animal doesn't do that, I sell them. You can pretty much always find a taker for a laying hen.


following that rule, I'm seriously contemplating trying to sell my teenage son Guess maybe the rule doesn't apply to bipeds?

Well I love your rule because thats how I feel. Lol
As of right now her life has been spared & she may stay. After a few hours in the crate yesterday, she seemed pretty humbled when I let her out. And this morning she was not as mouthy. I think maybe she got it. Lol
I did find another option though. A close by family run hatchery who actually breeds silver laced wyandottes, along with several others rare breeds I want, & also takes in unwanted hens & roosters is willing to take Henny Penny and give me a credit towards a future order. WIN WIN WIN!! She gets fresh breeding stock, I get a chicken I want, & Henny Penny stays out of the pot!

 

[donrae]

Well I love your rule because thats how I feel. Lol
As of right now her life has been spared & she may stay. After a few hours in the crate yesterday, she seemed pretty humbled when I let her out. And this morning she was not as mouthy. I think maybe she got it. Lol
I did find another option though. A close by family run hatchery who actually breeds silver laced wyandottes, along with several others rare breeds I want, & also takes in unwanted hens & roosters is willing to take Henny Penny and give me a credit towards a future order. WIN WIN WIN!! She gets fresh breeding stock, I get a chicken I want, & Henny Penny stays out of the pot!

Sounds like a great solution all around, doesn't it? Plus, your flock is happier, always a bonus...