Unloved Chicken

[Smoothie]

I have four chickens-- a Rhode Island Red, Gold-laced Wyandotte, Barred Rock, and a Plymouth Rock.

The Plymouth has always been smaller than the others and lowest on the totem pole, but lately all three of the other girls have been pecking at her. She's usually alone when they're foraging in the yard, gets chased away from feeders, and, at night, is at the opposite end of the roost as the other three. It's almost like she's not even part of the flock anymore. I understand that there will be a pecking order, but it's heartbreaking to see her out all by herself getting bullied.

She's been the slowest to mature and still hasn't laid an egg, while the other three have. I sprayed Blue-Kote on the most bedraggled areas of her feathers to try to discourage more pecking, but it doesn't seem like it's put the others off very much. I've also tried spicing up their run with cinderblocks, a treat block, etc. and give them lots of free range time. Is there anything else I can do to help improve her lot and keep her from being lonely/bullied?

thanks!

 

[Gargoyle]

That's difficult and sad.

Sit with them for at least a half hour once or twice a day, any time one pecks at her immediately smack it in the nose (not real hard, just like you're pecking it sharply) and yell "no" while pointing straight at the offender. After a while they start to get the message.

 

[azygous]

I know your pain. I have one of those, too. Sadly, it's a fact of chicken world that there's one of these in almost every flock, and it makes no difference how many or few are in a flock.

I began four years ago with two chickens, and very soon added three Brahma chicks. One of the chicks became the low bird and got beat up. A year later, I got six Wyandottes, One of the Wyandottes ended up as the beat up low bird, under-sized and picked bald while the Brahma victim moved up in rank and was no longer a victim. A year later, I got more chicks, two batches, six weeks apart. Of these, one of the last three youngest is the picked-bald victim.

In each case, as new younger members joined the flock, the previous lowest ranked moved up, gained weight, grew feathers while a new victim was chosen. Curiously, my latest four Sussex chicks have now achieved henhood without any of them assuming the role of lowest ranked victim. The bald Brahma is still the lowest ranked. I think it's because these four were extremely assertive as chicks.

It's heart breaking to us chicken keepers who really love our pets. But there isn't a thing we can do about it. It's all a matter of flock dynamics and the chickens are the ones who make these decisions, not us.

 

[samanthajosling]

Awww.I would give it some extra treats.I would hate to be the chicken.And if you see the chickens pecking at her i would push the other chicken away and scream ( not loud) No!
And

 

[glassgal]

Good advice gargoyle. I think I will try that. I too am having this problem. One of our banties completely annexed herself from the flock. I would pick her of her roost in the snowball bush and put her in the coop at night. No problems when they sleep but at the crack of dawn she would get outta the pen the others would corner and peck her. She would roam the yard all day by her lonesome self. We got tired of egg hunting everyday as she would lay in a different spot as soon as we found her nest. We thought it was just a broody thing at first cause she likes to set eggs. Now she is in the chicken tractor with five other hens (no roos in the tractor). We just put her in there yesterday and I've heard some sqwaking but nothing too serious. I hope they figure things out soon cause it is heartbreaking.