Trio of Bullies

[Ckelle74]

I am a first time flock owner. My flock is small - 4 16 week old pullets. I have an EE that is bossy and definitely the roost ruler. I have 2 Australorps that are very much like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. The go with the flow and seem to get along well with the EE. All 3 of these guys pick on my Cuckoo Maran. They have her holed up in the coop. Every time she ventures out, the run her back in. Any ideas on how to fix this? The run is very roomy and the coop is big enough for them all. It's getting warmer out and I don't want the CM "cooped up" - no pun intended =) Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!! See the run/coop below:






The Victim:

 

[teach1rusl]

Are they making her bleed, or just chasing/pecking a little?? Do they allow her to roost with them?

One thing you can do is make sure there are plenty of obstacles out in the run - places that block line of sight and give her places to get away to.

If you crated the ring leader, would Tweedle Dee/Dum still chase the CM?? Do you free range at all? If so, allow two out, and leave one of the milder mannered ones in with the CM. There are lots of different approaches.

 

[Ckelle74]

So the bully and CM sometimes roost on the same area. They never make her bleed, but they just chase her to the corner in the coop. I do let them out in the evenings but CM will hardly leave the coop. When she does they run her back. I often pull her out and let her roam a bit alone. What you recommend putting in the run?

 

[chickens really]

Have you owned them all since the beginning, or have you just introduced the Barred Rock looking one?
If just introduced they will not accept her that easy...Separate, look but dont touch.

 

[Ckelle74]

They have been together since the beginning. The Cuckoo Maran has always been skittish. But they don't try to peck her. Just chase her away.

 

[chickens really]

They have been together since the beginning. The Cuckoo Maran has always been skittish. But they don't try to peck her. Just chase her away.

We all get worrying too much at times over our chickens...Chickens are mean and have a pecking order. You only have four so someone always gets it the smaller the flock.

 

[teach1rusl]

Things you can put in the run are large branch sections, stumps, wooden chairs (any chair really - just thinking of aesthetics), wooden crates, straw bales - really just a few things to break up the space a bit. Think of your house being one big room rather than a living room, dining room, tv room, bedrooms, etc. Your family would probably get on one another's nerves a lot quicker in one large room - but breaking it up so you don't have to look at one another 24/7 helps...lol.

If they're not making her bleed - that is GOOD. That's not bad bullying. I had a bully once (actually I still have her, but she's 7 now, so doesn't really bully anyone anymore). I would sit outside in the run with them with a squirt bottle and I'd zap her when she got within a foot or so of the girl she LOVED to bully. She'd get startled and go away. I didn't yell at her or anything, because I wanted her to get into her head that it would happen by getting close to that girl - not because I was making it happen.