The Pecking Order

little farmer

Crowing
12 Years
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~ Gone with the chickens!!!~
Hello I have 4 chickens and just recently 2 started brooding and the other two became bff's. Bisquick (she's the leader) used to peck Junior (she's the lower classmen) but when Snap and Buttermilk started brooding Bisquick and Junior became best friends. But just recently Junior started pecking Snap and Bisquick would every once in a while peck Junior again!!! Is there any way that I can stop all this madness? (I mean pecking by madness)
 
Nope... those crazy hens put too much stock into the pecking order and if they see an opening to move it on up, they'll take it. Any type of change, natural or otherwise is an opportunity.

I've had broodies on and off for years. Though my regulars refuse to be any lower in the pecking order then they were when the come out of the brood. They'll in fact somehow introduce their chicks and they get accepted pretty quick, but always at the bottom of the line. :P
 
Well we don't have a rooster so when they sit on their eggs they are wasting their time. Do you have any ideas to stop them from brooding? I have tried putting an ice pack under 'em to lower their chest temperature but that didn't work. And someone suggested color the eggs with some sharpie and I did that but that didn't work either. Do you have any ideas?
 
Put her in a crate (large enough that she can stand/move around), but without any bedding or nesting material; just a bare bottom, food and water. Keep her in the crate, but among the others (if you can) so that the pecking order isn't too out of whack and they don't recognize her when she's released. If you can't secure her safely overnight like this, put her on a roost in the coop with the others after dark and back into the crate first thing in the morning. A few days of that should change her mind about sitting on eggs.
 
ok the pecking order is really getting serious in my flock. (well 4 hens) My one chicken Junior is getting pecked all the time by our leader of the flock Bisquick. (she's a hen) And she gets pecked on her comb and she has little scabs where she was pecked. I am really worried that she will get seriously injured on of these times. Do you think that a bigger coop might help with a run that Junior could go into? Please help!!!!!!
 

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