TWO HENS FIGHTING?

[chandlerreaves]

I just got 2 hens yesterday the owner said they were Hatch & Punpkin Hulse? Or however you spell it. At first they were separated and when we got them we put them into the same pen. It's pretty big. When we first put them in one hen takes advantage of the other and starts pecking at her and she flees into the coop. And at night the bully nest outside and the other one nest in the coop? Should I seperate them?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Since they have not been part of the same flock, the hens are establishing a pecking order. Unfortunately, that one hen is pretty aggressive. You could wait it out a bit more and see if it calms down, but it almost sounds like the aggressive one is acting like the outside is her territory and the submissive hen is acting like the coop is her area. If I were to intervene, I would put the aggressive hen in a pet carrier with her own food and water for a few days and move it in the coop at night and outside during the day. Then I would encourage the submissive hen to come outside and explore during the day, while the other is watching from the pet carrier. I would give them both treats to strengthen a positive association with the transition from the coop to the outside as well as going into the coop at night.