[chucksaway]

Can anyone help please, my chooks are falling out!

I have had 8 chooks since March last year with no problems but suddenly one of them has become an outcast. The others circle her and leap on her. The poor little thing runs for her life.  She spends all day avoiding the others, its so sad to see her on her own, any ideas what could have gone wrong.

They have a large pen so it is possible for her to hide, but  do I leave them to sort themselves out or do I intervene? I'm just trying to get rid of a nasty dose of red mite could that have any thnig to do with it?

Any help would be very welcome.

[kimT]

Hens can be nasty peices of work when there is one to be picked on. If you can spot the real bully then remove her for a few days and see how things are then.

[Foxy]

possibly, problems can occur within a pecking order if one hen falls in the others may try and ostracise her due to the fact that instinctively the poorly hen may attract predators. If she was previously in a higher postion in the pecking order, has become unwell then that can upset the general heiarchy and the odd spat may occur which is normal.

[IMOmimey]

If you take pity on the poorly one and give her extra attention and food (tempting I know), it could make it worse, as they get jealous. I suggest you put several feeders/waterers around, or she might be pushed away from the feeder and just get worse from lack of nutrition. Check she does not have any wounds, the sight of blood will drive them to attack, sometimes to the death if shes bleeding. Its likely that they will sort themselves out in a fw days, hard to watch though

[chucksaway]

Thanks everyone, have to admit I have been putting little bits of corn and cabbage in the bushes to make sure she has something to eat.  She has been trying to keep out of the hen house at night but I thought it might be the mites that put her off, now I'm not sure. The house is mite free at the moment so I have been putting her in. Tonight she has gone in on her own. Hope she has a better day tomorrow, looks like something from Jurassic Park when they attack - I still have a lot to learn about chooks but wouldnt be without them.

Thanks again.

[chickenlady]

That happened between 2 of my original girls late last year, these girlies all hatched together and grew up with each other! Nugget the top girl came into lay first but when layer came into lay she obviously felt grown up enough to challenge nugget for the top spot but it just ended up with layer having  a nasty wound on her comb (5 mins before we were due to go to school and work!!"!" blood everywhere!). they all get on fiine now!? maybe your bullied girl has tried to challenge the top girl?

Debbie

[chucksaway]

I do hope so, she is still in hiding today. I cant tell if she is eating and drinking as Im at work in the day. Maybe it will blow over and they'll be back to one happy'ish' family again.

[chucksaway]

Help! I'm still having trouble. The bullying has got much worse, its got to the stage where they wont let her out of the coop at all. No food or water. If I open the nest box where she stays they come in and stand over her to stop her leaving. I put her in a pen on her own on Sunday and today and let her out to go into the coop at night.  There was a bit of a scuffle but its quiet now.
The bullying has been going on for a couple of weeks now. If I leave them to get on with it I'm sure they will finish her off. I really dont know what to do - if anyone has any ideas  I'm desperate to try anything.

[Foxy]

If you can identify the top hen or the worse bully I would take her out asap,isolate her maybe wth a companion for about 2 weeks. When you put them all together again the bullying should subside, this gives the badly pecked hen time to recover and gain a better position in the pecking order. Make sure in the meantime you have plenty of drinkers and feeders around so she manages to get enough food and water. Alternatively you can offer the bully a new home in a bigger established flock.

[chucksaway]

Foxy thanks for the advise but I tried taking the ring leader out but the others take over. Its unreal to watch. I never knew they could be so persistent. I would have to keep 3 out I think. If I let them back in the coop at night does that have the same effect? I dont have a second coop to house them at night.

[Foxy]

a difficult one, I do sympathise, have you enough room in your run? hybrids can be a little more aggressive on the potential to peck front, and the pecking order can take around 3 weeks plus to sort out. It may be the only solution is to find a home for the bullied one unless you are able to completely remove the bully in a separate area 24/7, I am afraid I  am not sure what else to suggest I am sorry I cant be more helpful!

[SMD66]

foxy is right about removing the bullies.  Don't remove the bullied one if you can help it as when she goes back she will be a 'newcomer' and will literally get it in the neck again.

[chucksaway]

thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how it goes.

[waffles]

hiya ther i have 5 ex batts and just one of them get picked all the time and all she does is sit on the top of the coop

[CattinJ]

Hello,
I am new to this too and I may be giving you all the wrong advice here...but we had the same problem with one of our ex bats right from day 1.  We tried isolating teh bully but the other 2 then took over her job and ganged up on her. I also work all day so cant spend every minute watching them!
Here's what we did; we built another very small coop and a run that we placed alongside the original and isolated poor Snuggles.  We put her feeder next to theirs but obviously in the different run so they were still seeing each other every day and almost feeding together (bar the wire!).  Snuggles now gets all the food and water she needs and has developed a healthy appetite.  When we get home from work or on weekends we let them all out together for an hour or so and although they still peck her, she can run away and is slowly learning to accept it and not get so scared.  It has also helped to give them treats when I get home at night, so I  let them out and they all gather round where I can give each one their own hand fed treat -they are so excited abt the food they forget the pecking order!!  The last couple of evenings Snuggles has even plucked up the courage to pinch someone elses treat and laid her first egg for us!! Hope this helps.