Any and all advice is very much appreciated!
I have four chickens, three of which are in a little flock together -- the fourth is an aggressive rooster who has to be kept away from them. This concern is with my flock of three. The flock consists of all bantams. There's Alaska, a four year old d'Uccle hen, and there is her son Alex, a one and a half year old d'Uccle/booted bantam mix. Unrelated to them is my other hen, Mykerion, a two and a half year old Rosecomb/Cochin mix.
These chickens have lived together as a flock ever since Alex was born. Alaska and Mykerion carried over from my first full bantam flock after the others passed away. So it's been at least a year and a half that they've lived together. For the most part, they're pretty peaceful. Every couple of weeks or so, Alaska and Alex will fly at each other in a little skirmish that lasts all of about ten seconds. I guess they're trying to figure out who's in charge: Alex because he's the only man, or Alaska because she's his momma! Mykerion never starts any fights. She is so laid back and docile.
But for about the last week now, the strangest thing is happening... Alex and Alaska have turned on Mykerion and they're picking the poor girl almost to death! It started with them just chasing her and pecking if she got too close, but in the last three days it's gotten brutal. Mykerion won't come down off of the roosting poles because if she does, the other two corner her and they're pecking her non-stop. I haven't been able to catch her to see if she's got actual wounds yet or not.
Note that my chickens aren't free-range due to predators... They live in a dog kennel in the backyard, and it's a 10x10 foot kennel. Like I said before, they've lived peacefully in here for over a year with no problems, and suddenly it seems like Alex and Alaska are trying to kill Mykerion. Alex has never been mean, even for a rooster. He's so sweet to me. And Alaska and Mykerion have always gotten along, they have even brooded eggs together.
Does this sound like a familiar situation to any of y'all? Is it something that will blow over without harm or do I need to intervene? Should I remove Mykerion? We don't technically have anywhere to keep her at the moment, nor do I want her to have to live alone. Free-range isn't an option here either. Are they just re-doing the pecking order or is this a deeper problem?
Thanks in advance!
I have four chickens, three of which are in a little flock together -- the fourth is an aggressive rooster who has to be kept away from them. This concern is with my flock of three. The flock consists of all bantams. There's Alaska, a four year old d'Uccle hen, and there is her son Alex, a one and a half year old d'Uccle/booted bantam mix. Unrelated to them is my other hen, Mykerion, a two and a half year old Rosecomb/Cochin mix.
These chickens have lived together as a flock ever since Alex was born. Alaska and Mykerion carried over from my first full bantam flock after the others passed away. So it's been at least a year and a half that they've lived together. For the most part, they're pretty peaceful. Every couple of weeks or so, Alaska and Alex will fly at each other in a little skirmish that lasts all of about ten seconds. I guess they're trying to figure out who's in charge: Alex because he's the only man, or Alaska because she's his momma! Mykerion never starts any fights. She is so laid back and docile.
But for about the last week now, the strangest thing is happening... Alex and Alaska have turned on Mykerion and they're picking the poor girl almost to death! It started with them just chasing her and pecking if she got too close, but in the last three days it's gotten brutal. Mykerion won't come down off of the roosting poles because if she does, the other two corner her and they're pecking her non-stop. I haven't been able to catch her to see if she's got actual wounds yet or not.
Note that my chickens aren't free-range due to predators... They live in a dog kennel in the backyard, and it's a 10x10 foot kennel. Like I said before, they've lived peacefully in here for over a year with no problems, and suddenly it seems like Alex and Alaska are trying to kill Mykerion. Alex has never been mean, even for a rooster. He's so sweet to me. And Alaska and Mykerion have always gotten along, they have even brooded eggs together.
Does this sound like a familiar situation to any of y'all? Is it something that will blow over without harm or do I need to intervene? Should I remove Mykerion? We don't technically have anywhere to keep her at the moment, nor do I want her to have to live alone. Free-range isn't an option here either. Are they just re-doing the pecking order or is this a deeper problem?
Thanks in advance!