What do you do with quarreling hens?

[mrsc1951]

Well, Lucile, my little red bantam with the attitude of a pit bull finally laid an egg. It was almost twice the size of her normal eggs. That could have contributed to her volitile state but it hasn't let up. She still challenges all the other girls except my two LBs. Hmmm. One could write an entire dissertation on the dynamics of flock integration with respect to pecking order. I have always said that Lucile suffers from "Napolean Syndrome" since she is the only bantam.

 

[kdwag]

I never knew i was going to need a PhD in chicken psychology to have chickens. Yesterday afternoon, bully hen did better, just chasing and lunging. I did separate them a couple of times in separate but connected runs. They went to bed fine. They got up and did fine until mid morning when bully decided to become a pit bull again and caused 2 wounds on my Clara's head. So, I put her in her cage in the barn and she went right into her nest and laid an egg. Now she's in the separate but connected run. That'll work for today but tomorrow they're calling for rain so she may be a barn chicken most of tomorrow. Her days are numbered.

 

[azygous]

I wonder if chicken psychology is an accredited course of study. Whether it is or not, I'd sign up to take it.

My theory that my jail bird was the cause of all the hen fighting still holds. I had Flo in the garage again all day, and there was no hen fighting at all. About the only tension that occurred was due to my escorting Flo to the coop where she could lay her egg, and the other two EEs also wanted to use that coop to lay eggs today. Flo got her egg laid, and I got her back to the garage, and Francie and Rachel then had the coop to themselves.

Who would have thought that one naughty hen in jail could start a chain reaction of fighting among the others?

In a few days, I may return Flo to jail in the pen and see what happens.

 

[ba bock bagock]

We got one evil chick this year that was attacking all the other chicks. Devil chick would attack and go straight for the eyes. Our other chicks and ducks were very scared. Tried seperating however devil chick peeped so loud as to wake the whole farm. Then tried to get my broody hen to sit with her. No that didn't work. Finally gave her to the neighbor as a late night neighborhood special. Other chicks and ducks recovering nicely

 

[kdwag]

Yikes, yes I think my best solution will be to get rid of my bully---- bummer because she's nice otherwise. I don't think any amount of seperation is going to help her and her spending the days/nights alone in the barn aren't enjoyable for her either. She attacks now even while free ranging which is so strange because she has 1/2 acre to investigate but would rather grab the combs of the other birds when they get near her....

 

[azygous]

Something I've been wondering - those of you who have re-homed bully hens, have you followed up on them? Did re-homing cure them of bullying? Or was the bullying behavior simply exported to the new flock?

Third day of taking the jail bird away from the flock, and no fighting has occurred.

 

[kdwag]

From what others have told me, a lot of times they do better in a larger flock with a rooster because the rooster keeps them in line and it's harder to move up the pecking order with so many birds. I have found a home for my girl with my step sister. I'm giving bully hen through this week to see if there is any marked improvement but when I put her back in with everyone she does ok for a little while but then becomes relentless and chasing , grabbing, etc. I don't think I could ever leave her with everyone unattended. So, if I do rehome her, I'll follow up for sure. Her ultimate outcome will be death either way because they cull their flock regularly whereas I'm a big baby but will need to learn to grow a pair if I ever want more chickens since this apparently is a common occurrence.

When you put your jail bird back in do they start fighting right away?

 

[azygous]

I still have my problem child hidden away. The rest of the flock has been behaving so nicely, I don't want to rock the boat. I plan on putting her back in the community jail in two days when I can watch everyone carefully. I want to be able to remove her right away if they exhibit any quarrelsome behavior.

Right now, the jail bird gets to come out and romp whenever I'm out there doing chores. The rest of the time, she is occupying the rooster's coop with him locked out, since she shaves his feathers, too.

 

[kdwag]

how does she act with him?

 

[azygous]

All of the hens, including the feather picker, bully, adore the rooster. She can't help but yank all his feathers out, and he just lets her do it. Other than that, they get along very well.

At first, I tried letting him sort out the fighting hens, but it was too intense for him, and she isn't the only one who finds his feathers irresistible.