Would adding a new chicken help my lowest lady?

[MnChickenGal]

I have a cochin that is at the bottom of the pecking order. The bully has been so mean recently that the Cochin singles herself out and hides in the nesting area for most of the day. I was wondering if adding a new friend would help or hurt the situation. I thought maybe if she had a friend she would be able to be more social. I am going to try the pinless peepers on the bully again and see if they help.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Poor girl... I hate bullying because you never really know why one bird is lower than another.

She might just get pushed further down. Hard to say. What I suggest is to separate your bully for a few days to "reset" the pecking order and see if that helps.

 

[Cackel Shack]

I have a cochin that is at the bottom of the pecking order. The bully has been so mean recently that the Cochin singles herself out and hides in the nesting area for most of the day. I was wondering if adding a new friend would help or hurt the situation. I thought maybe if she had a friend she would be able to be more social. I am going to try the pinless peepers on the bully again and see if they help.

I have a cochin in a similar situation as yours, she was at the bottom of the pecking order and getting picked on. In Feb. I bought 3 new chicks I reared and when they integrated into the flock, guess who started bullying them? The prior picked on cochin. Ha! Funny...but not. Chickens are unique individuals.

 

[MnChickenGal]

They are tricky birds! I ended up putting peepers on the bully which worked like a charm. Only problem now is that the bully seems to be isolating herself more. I don’t think you can ever win with the pecking order!