Soft/broken egg shells and bullying

[Judi5110]

I've had back yard chickens for 3 and a half years. My girls have a large run but also have daily free range access within a very large fenced chicken run area around the back yard.

My 16 month old Sapphire Blue Plymouth Rock hen is beautiful but mean. She pecks my feet (not a biggie) but more annoyingly, she bullies the 1 month old 3 new chicks by pecking and chasing them, sometimes away from food and sometimes just because she sees them. Their “broody hen mother” doesn’t seem inclined to protect them. (She was a better protector of her previous adopted brood which interestingly, included the bully!) Is there anyway to break her of the extreme bullying? It seem much more extreme that the usual “pecking order.”



The last three days she’s dropped soft shell/broken shell eggs. The hens have access to oyster shell (but seem to prefer crushed egg shells.) They also prefer the chick crumbles to the Layena. Do either of those factors explain the broken eggs?

 

[aart]

Broody chicks once weaned by mama often get beat on, can take time for them to figure it out. make sure they have plenty of paces to hide and maybe a safe 'creep feeder' area so they can eat and drink in peace.

I would not allow a bird to peck my feet more than an occasional curiosity peck, would peck her back. Betting this bird is low bird in the flock, they are often most aggressive to new members.

Pinless peepers might be appropriate if this bird in unrelentingly chasing and injuring the young birds.

Oh the soft shells could be because of the feed change, mix OS with egg shells to make them more attractive. Could also be because this is the time of year(in the northern hemisphere) that laying stops for molting and winter break, can get some weird eggs around that time.