Suspected night bullying

[maggieandotis]

Hi! Hope you all can help...I have a young(er) hen that I think is getting bullied at night...My flock make up is: (1) rooster and (4) hens that were all hatched April 2020 on the same day + (2) more hens that were hatched last March on the same day (so 10 months old). The (4) older hens go in the big coop at night and the younger (2) go into their small coop. About 10 PM, I move the rooster into his bachelor pad from the big coop so he doesn't wake up the neighbors.
One of my two younger hens, Lola, was my favorite and so sweet but recently she started attacking me when I went into the coop. Today, I noticed that many of Lola's neck feathers were gone and so are all of her tail feathers. Her coop mate, Hazel, is getting nice and fat and at night when I tuck my rooster in, only Hazel comes down from the roost to grab a bite to eat when it used to be both of them. This has been going on for about 2-3 weeks which is about the same time that sweet Lola started attacking me. Hazel's comb is nice and red and Lola's has turned a paler pink and she is not laying.
I am 99.9% sure now that Hazel is picking on Lola at night. My question is: would you
a. leave Lola (the one being picked on) in her own coop at night and move Hazel to the big girls' coop
b. move Lola into the big girl coop at night and let Hazel be by herself
c. do some combination where I move both Hazel to the big coop and stick an older, seemingly more mellow, hen in with Lola
d. move Lola to the big coop and keep Hazel in the small coop with another older hen.

I am worried that if I don't get Lola some type of relief it will ultimately not end well for her. Here is a photo of Lola and our two coops. To note: during the day it just seems like normal pecking order stuff and nothing too dramatic although Lola is very skittish when other hens are near her. Thanks so much!

 

[Sc_chickengirl]

I am no expert but if I were you I would do a. or c. at first. If Hazel is doing so well she might get along with the big girls. I wouldn't move Lola though. She might get pecked worse. Or maybe let her heal up and then move her in with the older hens. But its totally up to you. That's just my opinion .

 

[rayrose]

Why are you feeding them in the coop at night?
Birds don't normally eat nor drink at night time.
This may be causing the aggression. The birds are
all big enough to properly integrate them during the day,
and should be sharing the same coop and run, although your
coop and run looks very small.

 

[maggieandotis]

I am no expert but if I were you I would do a. or c. at first. If Hazel is doing so well she might get along with the big girls. I wouldn't move Lola though. She might get pecked worse. Or maybe let her heal up and then move her in with the older hens. But its totally up to you. That's just my opinion .

Thank you for your reply. I posted in another forum that I belong to and one person thinks it might be a rat. It happened to one of her hens and for whatever reason, the rat just picked on the one hen. She looked at the attached photos and said that unless those are pin feathers in her neck, it looks like a rat's chewing. She is only 10 months old so isn't molting...What do you think of that theory?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Those are pin feathers so she's growing new feathers in at the neck. I think she may be doing a juvenile molt.

 

[maggieandotis]

Why are you feeding them in the coop at night?
Birds don't normally eat nor drink at night time.
This may be causing the aggression. The birds are
all big enough to properly integrate them during the day,
and should be sharing the same coop and run, although your
coop and run looks very small.

I just have left the food out for them. I don't feed them at night but I also don't take the food and water away. Both coops have food and water. All birds share the same yard during the day. The birds choose their own coop to sleep in. The two younger ones chose the small coop (probably because that is where I kept them in the beginning- I have had them since hatch day) and the older hens go to the big coop. The yard is plenty big enough for 6 hens and a rooster.

 

[Sc_chickengirl]

Thank you for your reply. I posted in another forum that I belong to and one person thinks it might be a rat. It happened to one of her hens and for whatever reason, the rat just picked on the one hen. She looked at the attached photos and said that unless those are pin feathers in her neck, it looks like a rat's chewing. She is only 10 months old so isn't molting...What do you think of that theory?

Wow that's really interesting. I've hardly ever heard of that. But maybe so. My chickens that have feathers on the neck or head like that I think usually have them stripped clean off half way or whole way. I'm not sure when it happens but it must be when they're roosting. Do your chickens roost or sleep on the floor?

 

[Sc_chickengirl]

I just have left the food out for them. I don't feed them at night but I also don't take the food and water away. Both coops have food and water. All birds share the same yard during the day. The birds choose their own coop to sleep in. The two younger ones chose the small coop (probably because that is where I kept them in the beginning- I have had them since hatch day) and the older hens go to the big coop. The yard is plenty big enough for 6 hens and a rooster.

By the way, I like your set up. I just have one big coop. I wish I could have 2 so I could keep my bantams away form my other chickens.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Thank you for your reply. I posted in another forum that I belong to and one person thinks it might be a rat. It happened to one of her hens and for whatever reason, the rat just picked on the one hen. She looked at the attached photos and said that unless those are pin feathers in her neck, it looks like a rat's chewing. She is only 10 months old so isn't molting...What do you think of that theory?

She's molting and probably doesn't want to be touched so she is nipping at you to leave her alone. Those feathers on her neck are pin feathers and while they grow in it makes them uncomfortable.
They molt at different times throughout the year and don't always follow the rules of when to molt. I currently have a 9 month old molting and she's decided to sleep by herself. They don't feel their best while molting.

 

[maggieandotis]

Wow that's really interesting. I've hardly ever heard of that. But maybe so. My chickens that have feathers on the neck or head like that I think usually have them stripped clean off half way or whole way. I'm not sure when it happens but it must be when they're roosting. Do your chickens roost or sleep on the floor?

They roost but the roost is very low to the bed in this coop. Maybe only an inch or two off the floor. I hope I figure it out soon! My hen was so sweet and curious and had such a fun personality and now she is skittish and sometimes aggressive.