Sudden aggression after laying resumes

[K0k0shka]

Well, it's just a hormonal surge.
Happens to humans more frequently(monthly) than in chickens.

The hormonal side of things makes sense. How that translates into odd behavior (or not) is the mysterious part.

 

[K0k0shka]

Big breakthrough today! Look at them at the top of the frame:

That's the injured hen and her main nemesis, standing next to each other on the two sides of the fence, preening themselves! That's gotta be a sign of peace, right?

 

[K0k0shka]

Here are her new sleeping quarters! It’s going to be in the teens tonight and tomorrow until noon, and I’m worried about the temperature swings from basement to coop back and forth every day. So she has graduated from the basement. I covered the top so she wouldn’t get pooped on. The long side has clear plastic for protection and visibility, and the short side is open for ventilation.

The two pullets came in to investigate right away. No attempts at pecking.

I had to go pick the kids up from school and missed the bully coming in and finding the crate. By the time I got back, she was up on the roost, and bully #2 (the dark pullet) was showing a little too much interest in the open side of the crate… I think they were sizing each other up, heads held high, but without bully #1 present, I don’t think the injured hen is afraid of the pullet. The pullet ranked lower than her and still does, but gets emboldened by the big bully’s presence and tries to subvert the order (this particular pullet has always been assertive with the aunties, trying to fit in with them).

Everybody’s down for the night. Let’s hope the morning goes well.

 

[Mrs. K]

You might try pin-less peepers on that mean girl. A lot of people swear by them.

Mrs K

 

[WallyG74]

I’m clueless. We’ll try to keep it hot on the main page. Hopefully some more experienced chicken keepers have seen this.

 

[K0k0shka]

I’m clueless. We’ll try to keep it hot on the main page. Hopefully some more experienced chicken keepers have seen this.

Thank you!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

My ladies got gripey and loud, but nothing to that extreme. I'm sorry you're having such a bad couple of weeks! Hopefully someone knows what you should do, or it passes as fast as it started

 

[K0k0shka]

Chickens like the color red, so when your hen started to bleed from the pecking, the others kept going after her because they saw the blood. If your hen starts to bleed put some corn startch on the wound to stop the bleeding. You could try to spray the other chickens with a water gun every time they go after her, chickens hate water!

I figured they must be drawn to the blood at this point, but how did this start in the first place? I’m stumped because it has never happened before, and because this is an especially peaceful flock. They even accepted the pullets at 1 month old without any bloodshed last year! Otherwise I know that things like this happen, it’s just out of character for these particular birds…

They lost a flock-mate a couple of days ago, I wonder if that has anything to do with it. One of the pullets. They didn’t seem to act any different though, besides this attack, so maybe not…

 

[K0k0shka]

Whoa...... Brutal!

Right? I know that chickens are brutal, so this isn't completely out of the ordinary in general, but it's extremely out of character for my flock, and for the two who did most of the damage... So I'm stumped, sad, angry and concerned.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

pimping out the back wall of their run

Perfect, love the verbiage!