Why is my Black Star so mean?

[Nickel-Max]

I have seven in my flock, two of which are black stars. Both are less sweet than my EEs and GCs... However, one of them seems overtly mean to everyone else. Pecks, chases and corners a different hen depending on her mood.

I have a toddler and have been dealing with his behaviors through time out and stuff -- but I'm clearly out of my element with the girls!

How do you address problematic/bullying behaviors in your flock?

Thanks!

 

[enola]

Google hen peepers. Stops a lot of nasty behaviors.

 

[aart]

How big is your coop and run(feet by feet)?
How old are the birds and how long have you had them?

There will always be pecking of lower status birds by higher status birds.
It's just the way they do.
Crowding can escalate these behaviors.
As long as there's no copious blood letting and no pinning down and beating, don't worry about it.

Lots of space, places to hide 'out of line of sight' and/or up and away form aggressors can help a lot.

 

[azygous]

Like aart says, space is the best remedy for bullying. That and providing lots of perches and places to jump up to and hide behind.

But you can mediate with some aversion therapy if you have the time and commitment. You need to station yourself in the run and be ready to intervene. My favorite is a paddle on a long handle that I thrust in between the pursuing bird and its victim. A fly swatter works pretty well for this purpose.

You can also use your finger as a "beak" and peck the bully on the back when she engages in unacceptable behavior. If you manage to do this enough times in a row, it may make the bully decide that her behavior isn't worth the unpleasantness she's experiencing from you.

This works pretty well in most cases. In some hard cases, you simply need to wait until the pecking order sorts itself out.