Should I separate the bully?

[Chicksnmind]

I had my chicks separated in the run since they were born. At 4 weeks I opened up the divider and Momma silkie was doing a great job keeping the others from the chicks. So much so she was a little bully. A day later I put my 2 new small hens (egg laying age and they were quarantined for two weeks) in the separated area. One of the new girls kept flying over the divider and I eventually gave up and opened the divider.

So it’s been two weeks and the new girls still keep to themselves and freak out and fly anytime any of the others get near. My rooster keeps trying to convince them he’s ok and talking to them and tidbiting to them but they aren’t having it. My EE, 2silkies pullerts, rooster are non aggressive towards them or to the chicks .

It’s my d’uccle that is being a bully. She chases them whenever they are close enough to do so. So they fly and sit on the fan. She also chases the chicks. My little black silkie is missing feathers from her. The chicks she has known since birth and has been with 2 weeks. Now Mommy silkie is starting to wean and isn’t protecting so much so they are getting targeted more.

Any suggestions?

 

[My1stChickens]

Given it's been two weeks, and the bully is really the issue, I'd probably put her in a cage for a couple days/nights. I've had bullying when a hen who's been isolated, was returned to the coop. And one would decide to be a brat. If I put them in solitary it seemed to "reset" their behavior.

 

[Mrs. K]

Try that ^^ but if it doesn't work, do a head count, and measure the set up, as chicks grow, they take up more space, so that numbers that worked well when they were smaller, start to cause tension in the flock as they grow. It might be that your flock numbers are over what fits in harmony in the coop/run set up.

You may have to use the other side of chicken math, cull some birds, which just means to remove them from the set up. The first time this happened to me, a predator helped me out. And almost instantly, I could recognize a decrease of tension in the flock. I took a head count and new that it the number of adult birds that fit in that set up.

Do not think that free-ranging will compensate for a too small coop/run. In the dark days of winter, they spend most of their time roosted up. The numbers need to fit the coop.

Mrs K

 

[imnukensc]

If the separation/isolation doesn't work, try pinless peepers on the bully. It was the only thing that worked for me.

 

[My1stChickens]

Try that ^^ but if it doesn't work, do a head count, and measure the set up, as chicks grow, they take up more space, so that numbers that worked well when they were smaller, start to cause tension in the flock as they grow. It might be that your flock numbers are over what fits in harmony in the coop/run set up.

You may have to use the other side of chicken math, cull some birds, which just means to remove them from the set up. The first time this happened to me, a predator helped me out. And almost instantly, I could recognize a decrease of tension in the flock. I took a head count and new that it the number of adult birds that fit in that set up.

Do not think that free-ranging will compensate for a too small coop/run. In the dark days of winter, they spend most of their time roosted up. The numbers need to fit the coop.

Mrs K

Great point! I had not even thought about the size of the coop. I think the "rules of thumb" of 4' per bird is too tight, and this manifests when you have to keep them locked in, or you are integrating new birds. My coop is about 100 square feet, usually for 8-10 birds, so I tend to forget not all coops are as big.

 

[Chicksnmind]

They aren’t free ranged. I am planning on adding to the run and adding another perch inside the coop. The chicks are sleeping in a nest with Momma silkie in the run and the two new girls like to sleep on the fan in the run. They are stubborn about it and so I’m going to remove the fan as they are pooping on it.

As the chicks get bigger and I find which are cockerels and which are pullets then I can figure out which I am keeping. I think I will keep one of the chicks at this point. That will bring my numbers to 8 (now I have 12). They are all bantams except for my EE. My run is 5x8 height 5ish covered with attached round dog pen. The adults usually hang out there. Coops is a 5x4 height about 4ft.

Coop size isn’t the issue except when one of the chicks get in there and get cornered by the d’uccle.

I live in Florida so there isn’t much time spent in the coop.

 

[aart]

Coop size isn’t the issue except when one of the chicks get in there and get cornered by the d’uccle.

I live in Florida so there isn’t much time spent in the coop.

Even if they don't spend much time in the coop, they still need to use it and battles started in a crowded can be come habits that continue outside the coop.

 

[Chicksnmind]

I removed the little bully and put her in a dog crate in my house. She is really upset. Yelling and even crowing like a rooster.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

my favorite hen went broody and since I don't have a rooster I tried for three weeks and finally broke her of it, now she walks around pecking, jumping on and squawking loudly at several of those "lower on the food chain". Sooo irritating, in my case, wondering if isolation isn't what started the bully. Are we sure this is the answer to separate a bully?

 

[Wisegirl99]

Given it's been two weeks, and the bully is really the issue, I'd probably put her in a cage for a couple days/nights. I've had bullying when a hen who's been isolated, was returned to the coop. And one would decide to be a brat. If I put them in solitary it seemed to "reset" their behavior.

Do you put the cage inside the coop and run so she is still with the other hens, or do you take the cage to a place completely away from the other hens? I'm having a bullying problem with 1 hen as well.