Tammy from Arkansas

[Ladygrey6466]

Emergency! We have had a small group of hens for several years. We originally bought 6 several years ago. Then someone offered us a rooster from a farm that had too many and they were fighting. We took him. One of the hens started setting she hatched 6, we kept 4. A chicken hawk helped himself to all the hens but 2.

Make up of the group was now 1 original hen from our starter group, the rooster we added and 2 of his off spring. One hen and one rooster. They , the family group beat the one hen from our original group till she bleeds....they would not let her eat, sleep, or be near them...they would run 2 acres to jump on her...we have to beat them off with a stick to let her eat...We seperated them 6 weeks ago. I bought 6 new hens, chicks. I put them in the chicken coop with the one original hen i had. Left the terrible 3 some out to free range.

The last few days the weather has been good, Ive tried to introduce them all together and still monitor them. They pecked at the chicks much of what i would expect for establishing a peeking order. But they are back to drawing blood on the original hen...she is the only one i have left laying...i think they are going to kill her

The alpha rooster mounts her, then the subordinate mounts her, then the one hen in their group mounts her....


Thought?

 

[Chicken Girl1]

I would post this in the managing flock forum: https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/2/managing-your-flock

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC. You have a good link already, so I'll just say hi.

 

[drumstick diva]

I think I'd dump all the birds except the one hen that is being attacked. Too stressful to have so many aggressive birds. I would add some docile breeds and not keep a rooster. Hens will lay eggs without a rooster, they will just be infertile and not hatch out chicks.