Topic of the Week - Chicken Behaviour and Flock Dynamics Part 2 - Bullying Behaviour

[Chickassan]

I've got a meanie,in a very small flock with plenty of room she's just mean lol! I only have issues with her at night, she's always last to roost "I've got to tap her and tell her it's time for bed to get her in." She's got a curtained off window seat in the coop and i escort her to it every single night! If i don't she turns into this growling toe pecking monster. During the day she's bossy,really bossy but the girl takes roostime rumble to a whole new level.

 

[Folly's place]

I have plenty of space, and watch the group for any issues that might come up. Recently I placed two bantam cockerels that were extras here, and have a white Chantecler cockerel in the freezer who was too aggressive trying to mate. With one cockerel and three cock birds, the group is much mellower!
I gave up having production reds or red sex-links because they were too nasty to the other hens, and no longer have Salmon Favorelles because they were too mild mannered in my mixed flock.
Right now I have bantam Belgian d'Uccles and Easter Eggers, and standard Chanteclers, Speckled Sussex, French Marans, EEs, Wyandottes, and Jersey Giants. Mary

 

[morrowsl]

This is Daisy, one of my Easter Eggers. She was attacked by someone, but I've never determined who or why. Once I cleaned her up, I put her in the mini coop inside the run where she could see and be seen by the rest of the flock.
After a week I tried to reintroduce her and she was chased by several hens. Another attempt a week later netted the same results. After three weeks, I let her into the coop at dusk and she was accepted. I have witnessed her displacing others to get to her favorite spot, but that's about all the aggression she can muster.

None of the others stand out as a bully, per se, so I have no idea still who did the damage.

However, Daisy spends most of her time on the roosts unless the coop is completely empty. She will come down to eat and drink. I usually close the door and let her have time to eat and drink, then open it back up so everyone has access to the nesting boxes. I go out a couple of times a day, when I'm home, and take her out to the ladder in the run. But she never goes down onto the run floor. Now and then, one of the others will make a run for her but it never develops into anything more than a foot race. Once she's inside, the rest ignore her except one other Egger, Shakira, who seems to be her buddy bird.

 

[Folly's place]

OUCH!!! Poor girl, I hope things go better for her. Mary

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I have been lucky enough not to have much problems with my flock when it comes to bullying, except for a few minor problems like our guinea harassing and chasing the chickens ( she just likes to be mean and scare them) the 2 bantam roos, a Silkie and a D'Uccle, who have begun to hate each other and had a horrible chase the other day over some cute pullets and fought until they were both bloody...not sure what to do about that. The same cute pullets are the lowest in the pecking order and don't seem to get much to eat because they are so scared of everybody. I think lots of space, dif areas of food&water, and close monitoring help. We have all mostly docile breeds so that helps

 

[sunflour]

I only have 5 hens who are all close in age(within a few wks of each other), but I have one girl who for whatever reason just hasn't grow like the others. She's at least 35-40 wks old and looks like a pullet and I'm pretty sure I'm not getting eggs from her either. But because she's so small she's the constant victim of whatever meanness that takes place. (Now honestly it doesn't seem to bad for the most part the girls are fairly at peace w/ one another) But I was curious if anyone else had similar experience w/ chicks who just don't seem to mature like they should? And how did you handle that?

Maybe she doesn't get her share of feed and has anxiety so she hasn't blossomed?
Do you have more than one feeder? if not, try adding one.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I had ex battery leghorns. Several were definitely bullies. I also had 3 buckeye hens. The poor buckeyes were so bullied. Two of them lost all of their back feathers, their fluff and a bit on their heads. Their skin was a flaming red. I tried putting them in a separate portion of the coop but when I came in in the morning they had managed to squeeze through the wire in order to get on the roosts.

Next I tried stop pick. As soon as I applied it the bullies started picking at them. So, the bullies got tossed out into the run for the night. During the day they were all integrated again. The next night as I was applying the stop pick they started pecking again. Out they went. It only took 2 nights outside and the bullying stopped.

 

[PoultryPedia]

I've been collecting ideas & experience about this over the years. Some really valuable strategies I've learned that help:
Set Up Obstacles
Put on Chicken Saddles
Moderate Toenails, Spurs & Beaks
Use the Buddy System
Allow for Orientation
Start a New Day Fresh
Keep Them in View
Give Time Out
There are details about these methods on the "Flock Peacekeeping" page at poultrypedia.com.

 

[Mrs. K]

good advice ^^

 

[Girly White Silkie]

Like the roosters are picking on the hens