I have four chickens and one of them is being really bullied. Is there anything I can do to stop this.x?

Question

Sensible answers please.x

Answer 1

Make sure that there are places that the bullied chicken can get to and hide.  You can also influence the flock by removing a top bird for a couple days, but this can spin things out of control when they get back together.

Answer 2

Give the bullying chickens an ASBO...

Answer 3

If you're really concerned about the chicken being hurt that's being bullied by the others, is it possible to separate them? If not, I would think that this should work itself out in the "natural pecking order" of things. Chickens are like that... yeh, they are!

Answer 4

You can try giving them more food, more space, and things to do (like hanging cds that they can peck, and giving them interesting treats to try and get into).

It also depends how long you've had them or if there has been any turmoil recently, chickens have a pecking order and for the first few weeks after you get them or after one dies they all fight to sort out who's who.  So you can leave them.

If you've had them for a long time though I guess with only four you can't really knock it off - make killing it the last resort, but it would be cruel to let it keep living if its not having a happy life.

Answer 5

This will always happen in a flock, don't worry! Sometimes we associate human feelings with animals behaviour but consider this, your bullied hen isn't going to go off and sulk in a corner feeling unloved, they accept it as being part of the flock and it's in their natural behaviour.

As with any hen/s who are at the bottom of the pecking order, you need to ensure they aren't being denied access to the feed, water, nest box or perch etc. If they are, you should provide an additional feeder, drinker and next box and this will reduce the severity of the pecking order and reduce how much she is being targeted.

If you're hen is being picked on to the point where she is in danger of injury or death (extremely rare) you're best either separating them or consider having her re-homed.

I hope you're little chook settles within the flock soon, it can take a few months for them to be accepted.

Answer 6

Stardust. . . . is exactlly correct.

Each and everytime I introduce new hens into my henhouse with the other hens it's that way.

  I keep an eye out for them to make sure that the "girl fights" don't get too brutal and if they do I take out the hen in trouble and reintroduce her another day and blame it on the moon or the way the wind blows but once in a while this will work.

Good Luck

Answer 7

chickens like all animals have a PECKING order. When i had chickens as a child we had the same problem, we ended up having to give the smallest one away to friends, and she lived a nice quiet life!!

Answer 8

One is always going to be on the bottom of the pecking order no matter what.There is really nothing you can do to stop it,its nature.Just watch to make sure that the others dont hurt her too bad.If they do peck her to the point that her head is gashed and bleeding then you will have to take her out and pen her by herself till she heals.You may want to put them in a bigger pen if possible.Sometimes it helps so ttat she has room to run and hide from bullys.