Really need some help, at the end of my rope--get rid of bully?

Concordmommy

Songster
10 Years
Apr 7, 2009
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I have one chicken who is at the top of the pecking order, Jackie. Well, Jackie pecked a gaping hole in Dolley, the bottom chicken. I iosolated Dolley, she healed. Then while she was gone, Jackie pecked Rosalyn to the point of bleeding. So I took Ros out too. They all healed and went back in, with pine tar on their butts, which seemed to deter Jackie for about a day and a half. I also put cabbage up for something for them to peck, etc. WOrked for a short time.

Now Dolley is re-injured and Jackie is going back after Rosalyn and now is pecking another chicken.

Should I just bite the bullet and re-home Jackie? I removed her tonight and put her in another isolation bin, so she doesn't re-injure Rosalyn again. Dolley is already isolated again.

What would you do?? I also changed their feed back to Flockraiser + oystershell because it seems that when we switched to Layena this all started a couple of weeks ago.
 
This is just what I would do.
I would take Jackie out and leave her out for a good week or so. At least until the pecking order was re arranged by the other girls. Then give her one more chance. Put her back in. If she goes after another one I would say time to re home or freezer camp.

The other girls will never be peaceful with always being bullied or the threat of it. Doesn't make for happy hens.

Good luck.
 
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I have a hen called Jackie-O that is the top hen (and she was on the bottom at one time..), but she is not that bad! Do you have plenty of room in the coop and run.? Try giving them extra protein--such as washed cottage cheese, cooked egg, cat food, meal worms, etc...
 
Coop is a bit on the snug side but they never go in there during the day. The run is 50sf and I have 5 chickens, so that's 10sf per bird as I read on here is a good ratio. maybe with the water and food bins though it's less. I have a feeling jackie is going to need to go
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I can't keep doing this though, it's taking a ton of time away from my family dealing with injuries and naughty birds.
 
YeOleBroodie makes some good points. That is what I would try.

The 10 square feet per chicken is a rule of thumb that reduces your chances of having problems. It is not a guarantee of no problems. Each chicken has their own personality and has different needs. And some breeds don't take confinement well. The Henderson Chart covers that.

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

You may have a breed that does not take confinement well, you may have Atillita the Hun, there may be something about your coop and run that makes them feel restricted. It is hard to say there are so many variables. If a week in chicken jail (consider it protective custody for the others if you wish) does not adjust her personality, I'd do what is necessary to give the others peace and stop the injuries.

Good luck!
 
Thanks everyone. I've got her and the injured one in isolation (not together though!!), so I'll see if Dolley can get better and put her back before Jackie. Then hopefully Jackie's "time-out" will cool her feathers a bit. I think my husband will prefer to give her away than build on to the coop though.

Thanks again!
 
Buy PINLESS PIPERS(sp) for your agressive hens.They work good.Ang givve your hens some sunflower seeds and catfood.
 
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Thanks, I totally forgot about the peepers. I just ordered some. I hope they work, because the pine tar isn't really working very well. I switched their food back and isolated the bully so hopefully everything together will amount to better behavior on everyone's part!
 
I removed a bully from my flock for a few days. It was very effective. She still hasn't regained her top spot on the pecking order and it has been several months since I removed her. It stopped her nasty behavior, too.
 

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