A couple months ago I got a new, mean hen who terrorized my other two hens. They have since settled into an uneasy truce, with my first two hens avoiding the other as much as possible. At night when they go into the chicken house, the mean hen roosts, while the other two stay huddled on the floor underneath her. This doesn't seem healthy for them, and I worry that when it gets really cold, all three will need to stay together for warmth. Is there anything I can or should do to get these two hens to roost again?
Do you have room in your coop to put another roost so the two could roost seperately. It sounds like she is definately giving them a hard time when they try to get on the roost. This could lead to pecking problems and more. It is such a risky business introducing hens from different flocks, or even younger pullets to a flock. That darned crazy pecking order. Go figure. Another option is adding a roo. Sometimes the dynamics of having a head male evens out the order of the hens. Good luck.
We had a similiar situation, and solved it by putting a divider up on the roost, all it is, is a board that makes two sections, so when the mean bird is on her side, the other hens are out of her sight, and she cant reach them. Kind of like that old tv show with a woman on one side, and three guys on the other? It works wonders in out set up, try a iece of card board at first, if it works, build something more permenant! Good Luck!
