smaller chicken getting picked on

[TwoCrows]

You can tell if they are broody if they growl at you when you reach inside the box, raise their feathers at you and when they do come out of the box, they are cluck cluck clucking all over the place. A broody will continuously return the nest box after you remove her. Not in a scared manner, but like "don't mess with me, I have babies to hatch!".

 

[bacircus]

I so appreciate your help. I think it really is broodiness mainly - although she is smaller than the rest she is definitely not leaving her nest, puffing up her feathers, feathering her nest, large poops and squaking when anyone gets near. And she is not laying. We were getting 6 eggs a day and now it is like 3 or 4. There are definitely a few aggressive chickens as well who also seem to be trying to eat their eggs. Our last flock was so easy but they were all rhodies and these are four different kinds. I am going to try putting her in a dog crate with no bedding tomorrow and see if that helps.

 

[bacircus]

I do not want to hatch eggs - roosters are illegal where we live. She is definitely broody - fluffing feathers, sqauking, not leaving her nest. I have had her in a dog crate at night in a warm place for the past four days and then during the day I have been locking the coop so no one can get in. Problem is since she is still the smallest she is still getting beat up by one of the other chickens . I am narrowing down which one. I could seperate him too but since there are only 6 chickens this drama is becoming slightly overwhelming.