two of my chickens are fighting

[moogooch]

I have 5 chickens, 2 Buff Cochins and 3 Dominiques. No rooster. They're about 15 months old. They've gotten along just fine in their coop for a year, but now, one of the Cochins is tormenting the other Cochin. When they're fighting, sometimes one of the Dominiques tries to break it up, but mostly they just come looking to me to fix it. The one that's being tormented has taken to hiding in one of the nesting boxes and puffing up to be as large as she can. The other, the tormentor, has been low on the pecking order for as long as the order has been established, and is usually ostracized from the rest of the group for sleep. Most of the chickens are not laying right now either. Has anyone seen this behavior, and if so, do you have a solution?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Isolate the agressor for about a week or so, let her still see the rest of the flock, but not be able to interact, then re introduce and see if it continues. You may have to re home her if this is used a few times and doesn't work. good luck

 

[Hensndoes]

Sounds to me like one of your Cochins is going broody and the other chicken isn't appreciating her new attitude. I just went through that with one of my Marans. I resolved the issue by letting her sit on eggs for a couple weeks in a store bought coop set up in the main run. After 3 weeks of dedicated broodiness I rewarded her with baby blue copper marans and cream legbar from alchemist farm. Everyone is happy now.

 

[chickens really]

Chickens always try to move up in the pecking order...Some dont bother at all and others will try....Possibly she is trying to be more dominant?....If Broody?...Then yes she is cranky....

 

[Hensndoes]

I think the one fluffing up is going broody and the other is agitated by the new behavior. Normal and natural for chickens to react to changes in their flockmates behavior.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

One chicken behavior that you can count on is a underling hen or rooster becoming assertive when they detect weakness or disease in a bird that was recently an alpha bird. It is almost like they enjoy putting their onetime boss in his or her's place.