why are they so mean

[cary 1973]

I have 4 1 year old chickens three of them get along great but my little bit is on the bottom of the pecking order she is always by herself unless she is with me or the dog in the coop she is stuck all the way at the other end all by herself to sleep tonight I brought all foreign as its so hot and they were miserable and I put them in the dog corner crate they picked on little bit until I took her out but now she has one of the room which happens quite often I bring her into that so bad for and she usually sleeps with my lab honey bear what is really ticking me off there so mean to her is there anyway I myself can move her to the top of the pecking order right now if I see them picking on her I make them stop immediately my other question is if I were to get a few chicks for her do you think the baby chicks after they grow up if she helped raise them would stay with her or they go with the three but heads

 

[KrisH]

I have 4 1 year old chickens three of them get along great but my little bit is on the bottom of the pecking order she is always by herself unless she is with me or the dog in the coop she is stuck all the way at the other end all by herself to sleep tonight I brought all foreign as its so hot and they were miserable and I put them in the dog corner crate they picked on little bit until I took her out but now she has one of the room which happens quite often I bring her into that so bad for and she usually sleeps with my lab honey bear what is really ticking me off there so mean to her is there anyway I myself can move her to the top of the pecking order right now if I see them picking on her I make them stop immediately my other question is if I were to get a few chicks for her do you think the baby chicks after they grow up if she helped raise them would stay with her or they go with the three but heads

the short answer is in the animal kingdom the weak will usually suffer and be picked on.

it is best if they are all about the same size, but it is possible that some younger ones would help (if you kept separate from the bullies)

we have a guinea pen that had 3 guinea that were younger and smallet than the other 10 and were always picked on by the others, then one of our turkey toms hurt his leg and needed more confinment, with nowhere else to go, we put him in with the guineas. those 3 small guinea hid under the tom and he guarded them from the other 10 birds. it's been almost a year and those guinea still hang out with the turkey guardians.

the guineas RESPECT the turkeys!!!

what i am trying to say is that there is hope.

RobertH