A few questions about hen-pecking?? One poor chook is getting it from all directions...

[ladytophamhatt]

I have removed the main culprit by shutting her in the house but the others are still bullying one particular chicken, not as bad though.

Is there anything else I can do?

How long will it last or is teh poor thing destined for a life of bullying?

I think you have to isolate the victim, I know it doesn't seem fair! If she is bleeding, spray with purple spray, it's disinfectant and will disguise the blood, making it not a target. If you can, put the victim in a fenced of area of the main run so still visible, then reintroduce gradually. We used anti peck spray, you can get it in pet shops, it did the trick. DCs think we should teach the others all to be nice to each other, but it won't work!
good luck!

She takes herself off into teh house if I leave the door open....but then doesn't come out to eat or drink then.

There hasn't been any blood drawn yet but I'll get soem of that spray just in case.

I think she's just going to have to get on with it.

I've let other one out now and watched her virtually make a bee-line for Mabel (thats teh bullied chickens name).

Do I need to sin-bin the bully (or babypeach as shes called) for longer....

On a happier note I've taught them how to use teh drinker thing properly.
Clever Girls and Clever Me

It's all to do with the pecking order. There will always be one at the bottom. It can change slightly, I've noticed. You just have to make sure the one at the bottom can still get to food, water, shelter when needed. The one at the top of ours is a tiny little thing, tis very odd.

The wierd thing is when I checked they were all in bed last night (rather drunkenly at 1am) they were all snuggled up together in the nesting box.
I'm pretty sure it was all 8 of the in there too, all nice a cosy and lovely.

Yet when they are out poor ole' mabel gets a battering.

Poor little Guinness used to roost in the nearby bush sometimes....

I've just been watching them and babypeach (the pecker) seems to be eating the feathers she pecks off teh other birds.

isn't that odd??

they say that's protein deficiency (feathers=protein)

I wouldn't isolate the bullied chicken - the idea behind isolating the bully is that she 'loses' her place in the pecking order, and the bullied chicken can move up it a bit (I think). You could try fencing off an area for her within the run, but that might be a bit of a palaver...

How big is the run that you've got with the cube? Did you get the extensions? Sometimes feather pulling can happen if they are a little cramped, so putting another extension on the run might solve it (iirc you've got 8 in there?).

If they're not drawing blood, then I wouldn't worry too much as long as she is eating and drinking. If you want to give her a treat try giving her some beef in jelly cat food and poultry spice - I use this to perk them up if they're looking a bit down! You can get organic cat food, if you're concerned about that, and make sure you don't give the one in gravy...

Also try hanging things up for them to peck at - stalks of broccoli, cabbage etc.

Also, if this one chicken really is a bully, I'm sure your supplier would swap her, or the bullied chicken, especially as they are so new.

If it doesn't resolve in a day or so you could try one of these anti-pecking bits - it is a ring that fits on the bully's beak and stops her pecking.

I had this problem a while ago with one chook in particular being a bully (surprisingly a tiny pekin bantam!) And the others joining in chasing the poor victim around the garden!

But then I rescued a new chook, a very battered looking Rhode Island Red, and it all stopped! Very random! Maybe they just all needed a pecking order switch around...

Not that I am sugesting getting a new hen everytime something goes wrong, but it accidentally worked for me.

It definatley only one chicken whos bullying her.
I watched them to day and teh bully would let tehr chickens peck bits off of her, all over her...she just stood there. Whereas if the bullied one came anywhere near she would grab her by the feathers and pull her around.

The run is 4 metres in total, so going by the Omlet site more then enough room (it says the cube + 2 metres is ok for 10).

Mabel (the bullied one) has had a a few treats today. I spend hour digging over the earth searching for worms for her
Just that hour has trained her that if I go to teh cage I have something for her and she comes running over....even if shes hiding in the house she comes out to see what I've got.
Bless her.

I might see how things are tomorrow and then decide what to do. If any of them are going it'll be babypeach (the bully).....Would another chicken move up the ranks and take over the bullying though?

I have this problem too. I'm afraid I just leave them to it. Hens will be hens. Bullied hen lays enormous eggs so she can't be suffering too much.

We found getting a cockerel completely solved the problem - don't know whether that's an option?

I think with 8 hens it could just take a little longer to sort out the pecking order. Keep going with the treats, and try the anti pecking bumper bit.

Well...now I'm even more confused!

I just went out to close up the house, 15 minutes ago Mabel(the victim) was still outside with 1 or 2 others. Now though, they are all inside and mabel is snuggled into the corner of the nesting box with the bully right next to her....no other hens are in there with them, just thsoe two all nice and cosy together.

Whats all that about then?

There wasn't any screeching from them at all.

I don't get it!

Its like prisoner cell block H mabel is now her bitch!

They're just jostling for position! Give them a few more days, and they'll be happy!