What do you do with quarreling hens?

[redheadchick]

This was quite the entertaining post! I think you should call FX and tell them you have a new show for them full of drama and violence! This is such a frustrating situation-I hope you feel supported because I think we have all been there too. My flock of girls picked relentlessly on my Silkie hen, to the point she no longer lays due to the stress and screams hysterically most of the day. I separated her and put her in her own mini-coop. When I got a young pullet hoping it would be a companion to her she picked relentlessly on her. I then attempted to put the pullet in with the older girls and they all but ate her alive. I brought the pullet inside in a crate and tried to socialize her with the new young chicks. She then began pecking the heck out of the chicks. Ugh! It seems each new solution brought another problem

 

[azygous]

Kim, I've stayed away from Barred Rocks for the very reason you mention. Everything I've ever read about them says they're a bunch of little trouble makers.

And to the next poster, yes, I tend to believe that the more we meddle, the worse things seem to get. But when you have a bully shaving a victim bald or tearing the comb off another's head, I can't just do nothing. I'm helpless as far as standing back and letting things sort themselves out. I just can't do it.

I've discovered, though, when introducing new pullets to the flock, a single pullet is doomed. Two will have a very hard time integrating, and three is borderline. So, after much trial and error, I've discovered the ideal minimum "unit" is four. They seem to present a "strength in numbers" force against the brutality of the pecking order, and they seem to be bullied far, far less than units of less.

I'm looking forward to getting four new chicks in a few weeks, and I'm hoping they integrate with the same ease as my last four did eighteen months ago.

Back to the "prisoner" Flo, she seems to be adapting very well to being her own flock of one. Chickens may be flock animals, but Flo seems to be fine with being an only child. I let her out to free-range by herself, and most of the time she's off digging for bugs all alone, and doesn't seem emotionally bent from the solitude. Of course she does enjoy going up to the full length windows in the coop and taunting the ones inside. Being alone hasn't cured her wicked streak.

 

[nova022]

This was quite the entertaining post! I think you should call FX and tell them you have a new show for them full of drama and violence! This is such a frustrating situation-I hope you feel supported because I think we have all been there too. My flock of girls picked relentlessly on my Silkie hen, to the point she no longer lays due to the stress and screams hysterically most of the day. I separated her and put her in her own mini-coop. When I got a young pullet hoping it would be a companion to her she picked relentlessly on her. I then attempted to put the pullet in with the older girls and they all but ate her alive. I brought the pullet inside in a crate and tried to socialize her with the new young chicks. She then began pecking the heck out of the chicks. Ugh! It seems each new solution brought another problem

Who knew, right! I have managed to get two of my older girls to co-exist peacefully with my younger ones. I ended up adding one older girl at a time to the younger ones. Today I will add a 3rd and see how they get along. It has been a tedious process, but I hope it has a happy ending. Why can't they just all get along.

 

[kdwag]

Geeze, I am hesitant to add any more to my current flock of 4. My bully has settled down signficantly and I think my rhode island red had something to do with it. I noticed she gave my bully a what for the other day in a kind way and the bully shied away. Weird. So, i'm hoping things continue down the much calmer path. I agree, it's hard for me to watch brutality among any animals so letting them fight it out is not my first choice.