RIR bullying bantams

[LaMereDuChat]

Our old Sussex's sister was killed by a fox, so I bought a nervous Rhode Island cross as her companion. They got along fine, but then the Sussex got run over.

The 'poor old' Rhode Island looked a bit lonely - she was an ex-free range farm chicken who used to live in a massive flock - so I bought two bantams as company for her.

Since then, she has turned from a nervous bird into Godzilla. They are fine together at night, and fine when they are free-ranging, but in the morning before I let them out she bullies the little ones mercilessly. We keep the pop hole of the box open at night in the summer, but she won't let the bantams out into the pen if she is there - she pecks them until they go back into the box, meaning they can't eat or drink till she gets let into the outside area.

We are due to go away for a few days next week - should I get the RIR a separate coop, and is there anything I can do to stop the bullying? We've had them all together for 10 days so far.

OP, I don't know if this is too late for you to help, but we had this situation when I first got hens.

I was given 2 (old and no longer regularly laying) hens by a neighbour who was moving, so we brought in 2 point of lay. The older hens mercilessly bullied the new ones who were terrified. The supplier suggested strength in numbers so I added another 6. Instead of 2 terrified hens I then had 8 who wouldn't go in the coop. It was a very long summer where the older hens made life for the others absolute hell. Constantly breaking up fights. 'Luckily' at that point I was completely free ranging so the new ones had a lot of places to go as we have a big garden. It took a very long time - all summer - but they eventually integrated.

Many years on, I've now integrated new hens into my flock regularly every couple of years. What I now do is to section off a small part of their enclosure and put the new hens into that in a separate house with their own feeder and drinker. They are right next to the existing hens and are fed corn and eat right next to each other but through a chicken wire fence. Then I add a more placid hen in with the new ones under supervision, increasing this each day till she beds down in the coop safely. Then I gradually add more of the old flock over a period of weeks 'remaking the flock' until I can get everyone in altogether. I always have a hose handy to spray really bad bullying. It will take as long as it takes depending on how many dominant and aggressive birds there are.

In your case I would suggest if possible isolating the older bird for a few days and letting the bantams have the run. Always isolate the bully. Get some extra feeders and drinkers and put in things that they can dodge around and hide behind if the older bird is stroppy. After a few days of being put 'in detention' try introducing the dominant bird back under supervision with the hose handy if need be. If she's too aggressive then out she comes back into isolation for a couple of hours and then try again. If she dominates access to the coop sleep her elsewhere for a week but keep her mainly in the run during the day. It will take time. You were really lucky the first time with your Sussex, but usually integrating hens is quite tricky and takes perseverance, time and patience.

Hope this helps and it works out.