Why are they pecking her

The fluffy bums

In the Brooder
Jun 2, 2019
27
7
19
Ottawa, Ontario
So I have five chickens and today I took one out of the coop/run area and when i brought her back in the coop she was sitting on my lap and almost all of them stared at her I kinda redirected most of them but one just started her in the eye and bit her comb we think it could be they are jealous I’m not sure but it’s not the first time they have pecked her what are your thoughts and how do I stop them from hurting her. Also a few weeks ago her comb was bleeding I thought it was possibly frostbite but maybe it was from them pecking
 
All chicken flocks have a hierarchy which is called a "Pecking Order" which as its name suggests involves a lot of pecking and violence. There will be a top chicken who pecks all of the other chickens and is very dominant and there will be a chicken at the bottom who gets pecked by everyone and is very submissive. It sounds like your hen is the bottom chuck and is just getting put in her place by the other ladies. If she is old or weak then they will pick up on that and beat her up, moving her further down the pecking order. Unfortunately, there isn't anything you can do about it as it is their nature. You could try and put these chicken mussels on I have seen, but I dont think they are very ethical because it restricts the chickens and stops them being able to forage. If they are just pecking her then that is fine, I once has a chicken have it's wing almost completely taken off by my dominant hen and she had to go to the vets and have an operation! Just make sure it stays as just pecking and doesn't escalate, if it does then she will most likely have to be removed and housed separately.
 
So I have five chickens and today I took one out of the coop/run area and when i brought her back in the coop she was sitting on my lap and almost all of them stared at her I kinda redirected most of them but one just started her in the eye and bit her comb we think it could be they are jealous I’m not sure but it’s not the first time they have pecked her what are your thoughts and how do I stop them from hurting her. Also a few weeks ago her comb was bleeding I thought it was possibly frostbite but maybe it was from them pecking
I have seen this happen when handling chickens.
I peck the peckers(see below).
What happens if you hold a different chicken?
How old are these birds, in weeks or months?


Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.
 
I have one that I got end of may she is the dominant one she we got her with another batch but then something happened with a racoon and only two survived then we got another batch and then a fox got 7 out of 12 when they were out during the day so now they aren’t allowed out. So that was just a little back story. we got the other 4 mid July but shadow is the more dominant one and alway has been the bigger one too.
 

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