Wounded Chicken from Nesting Box fight

[BetsyStockmann]

My 2yo Jersey Giant had accepted the 5month old Cochin and Welsummer has her new flock until recently. The Cochin started laying eggs last week and Roberta, the Jersey, has started pecking at her. I noticed it first a couple of days ago when I was interacting with Charlotte, the Cochin, and Roberta pecked at both of us. I thought it was strange and that it maybe had something to do with me. Today. however, Roberta ripped feathers out and actually wounded the back of Charlotte's neck while Charlotte was laying her egg. I am trying to figure out, first how to treat Charlotte's wound and second how do I stop Roberta from being territorial either over me or the nesting boxes (there are three boxes).
I have cleaned out the nesting boxes and placed eggs in each box in an effort to show them that all of the boxes can be used for laying, but Roberta keeps shoving the eggs out of the boxes (they are her eggs). The birds free range in the yard all day. The coop is 4' x 4'and includes the nesting boxes and roosting bar. So there is plenty of room for the three of them. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[CMV]

Put the JG in a week long time out away from the rest of the flock. Keep her in a crate in the house of in your garage/shed so the other birds can't see her and she can't see them. When she is re-introduced in a week she will be the new hen and that should knock her attitude down a bit.

Use Blukote spray on the wounded bird. It should hide the wounds so that they heal in peace.

I have a bully, too. She has spent much time throughout her life in chicken jail for bad behavior. If it's any comfort they do eventually mellow out.

Good luck.

 

[BetsyStockmann]

Thanks for the tips.
I amended the nesting boxes so the girls can't roost on the walls and that seemed to have helped last night (each girl was in a separate nesting box).
Yesterday, after I posted, I cleaned Charlotte's wound with hydrogen peroxide and put Neosporin on it. She, of course, immediately took a dust bath thus coating the Neosporin with dust and hiding the wound. She seems to be doing OK today. I am going to keep an eye on the wound and the relationship. We have obtained a large dog cage to use if Roberta is still acting like a jerk.