scared hen

[trudyg]

I had a bunch of cockerels, 4 pullets and 2 hens. The boys were wearing out the girls, so on Saturday all but 1 went away. Henny Penny, a hen, was getting the worst of it. She took to hiding in the coop/nest box, so I closed her up in there for Saturday and Sunday, only opening it for them to go in at night. Periodically, I carried out grapes or fish (leftovers) for her and scrambled eggs so she'd get more protein. She has food and water unlimted. I have a second coop that was jail for the other boys and have a nest box in there as well as the main coop. So, Monday morning I opened the main coop up and left for work. DH watched, but never saw her come out. This morning, tuesday, I opened it up and watched--she came out, got jumped and went right back in. I don't know if she came out during the day, but she did just a while ago and he got her right away and back in she went. I just put a lot of dried up leaves in there for her to poke around in. Should I lock up Roscoe in the jail? Or just let it play out? DH says let it play out, she'll have to get along with him sooner or later. I jsut thought maybe she'd get braver if she wasn't jumped right off. Thanks.

 

[bobbi-j]

As long as he's not injuring her, I'd let it play out. Chicken society isn't pretty, but it is what it is. If you locked him up for awhile then put him back in the flock, chances are, he'd have to reestablish his authority over the flock, and you'd be right back at square one.

 

[trudyg]

She looks pretty ragged, but she's just over a year and it could be the first molt. Jewel's first molt was like this, puny and ragged,but not like this year when she molted hard. Anyway, Henny is not injured now--she was bleeding on Saturday early but that boy's gone. That was from her comb and she's had several days now to recover. Just timid now.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Personally I would lock that rooster up for a few months until he matures. Quite often they will grow out of that hen jumping and become good roosters, but they need to be separated. I have done it multiple times, most of my troublemakers will spend about 6 months in jail before I let them out to stay. I love my roosters but the hens have to come first.