4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[piptiddlepip]

I was going to take my bully chicken back today. But after reading a few posts on here I decided to give her a couple of days.

 

Coning home tonight and checking on them, I notice only my bullying chicken is in the run. And as soon as she goes into the nesting box they all cram into one corner, almost on top of each other, trying to get away from her.

 

It looks as if thjey are all absolutely terrified of her. Is this normal?

[piptiddlepip]

Oh well. Looks as if no-one wants to help...

 

...I'll figure something out myself.

[Egg Lou]

Hi sorry I don't really have advice as not had this much of a problem..

 

I did have one that was bullied but no blood was shed.. she kept out of the way but after a couple of weeks it all got a lot better and now they get along although she is always a bit of a loner..

 

If there is no blood being shed then perhaps you could wait a little longer?? its hard to know without seeing how bad she is.. I guess if you swap her for another you will end up with a reverse problem as the others will all then attack the newbie..

 

Are you able to put a temp seperation in the run?

 

Sorry I can't help but we all care how things go so fingers crossed whatever you decide.

[lisa33]

When I first got my girls Bobbi became known as Bobbi-Satan as she was soo evil to Rae & Cynthia.

 

If they went in the eglu she chased them out and if they went into the run she chased them into the eglu.

 

This went on for a couple of weeks before they became best friends.

 

Just make sure there's a couple of feeding points and if it gets really nasty you can blast the nasty chicken with a water spray thing.

 

I'm sure it will work out in the end.

[cluckbok]

Hi ya,

 

Oh I'm sorry no one else replied

 

I didn't reply before cause I not 100% on what to do. It may be that there no one logged on who been in your shoes.

 

Welcome to the forum

 

I take it they are all newbies and have been in together from day one?

 

You will always get a bully it's part of the pecking order and things won't calm down until that is established, it can sometimes take a couple of weeks, it was in our case.

 

I know there is a spray you can get to put on the victims (it may be ukadex??) that is meant to make their feathers taste nasty so the bully won't peck. Or if things are getting really bad you can buy bumper bits and fit those and that should stop the bully doing any damage. You can get purple spray (Genetian violet) to spray on your victims if they have any wounds. Though if wounds are getting really really bad you may need to seperate them off for a while and maybe only put them all in together at night when they are sleepy.

 

I sure someone else may come along in a mo and repeat what I have said or correct my spelling on the spray name sorry!

 

I hope they settle down soon for you.

[Omletina Kyckling]

Oh well. Looks as if no-one wants to help...

 

...I'll figure something out myself.

 

Hi,

 

I don't think it's a case the no-one wants to help, just that people haven't had chance to read and reply, if they can help! There was only 45 minutes between your first and second message!! Give us chance!!

 

I had a bully when I first got my three new girls, one of them was attacking the other two. I didn't worry too much until blood was shed then I separated the bully from the others.....once I introduced the three new ones to the three older ones, it took a while to settle but interestingly, the initial bully is now the outcast and most bullied!!

 

If no blood is being shed, then you could perhaps keep an eye on them and see how it goes. When my girls were out and about, if I saw any bullying I blasted the offender with a hosepipe.

 

I hope they sort themselves out. It's very distressing watching chicken bullying!

[piptiddlepip]

Thank everyone, for your answers.

 

I read somewhere on the forum that a good way to take a bully down a peg is to handle them a lot and make them realise you're boss. So I took her out and had her on my lap for about 15 minutes. She grumbled a lot and tried to stand up a couple of times but I gently pushed her back down on my lap and bok bokked at her quietly and stroked her. I just put her back in the coop (it's dark now) and after eating a bit of food she went quietly to bed. So at least there shouldn't be any trouble tonight.

 

I'll see what happens tomorrow.

 

From what I can see there is no bloodshed but it's hard to check on the others when they're trying to squeezae themselves into a tiny space! I will take a look at each tomorrow. The thing is my bully laid me a lovely egg today, the first to do so, and despite the fact that she's evil I actually quite like her.

[lisa33]

Evil Bobbi-Satan has always been my favourite.

[Phonix]

I have no advice to give but I hope things are ok!

 

xXx

[Stevie]

I've seen photos on here where people have divided the run in half using lots of bamboo canes through the wire.I guess the idea is that they can get used to each other without any actual bullying taking place? I hope you get something sorted cos no one likes a bully.

[FruitandNutCake]

One of my ex-batts is a nasty bully - she even tried taking on my 3 original hens. It's taken me nearly 4 weeks of picking her up and removing her from the others for a few hours and having words with her. Now I just put my hand on her and show her that I'm boss - and it seems to be working. She now gets on with the original 3 girls and the "second in line" ex-batt, so she is now separated from the 2 little ex-batts by a weld mesh fence.

 

Also throwing corn along the dividing fence has helped, as they can all see each other but she can't attack the little ex-batts.

 

I'm going to get bumper bits to be on the safe side. I've tried anti-peck spray but that didn't stop her jumping on their backs and pinning them to the floor by their necks.

[SAB]

I got some cheap chicken wire (just the right length to go across the Cube run) and made a temporary division when having problems with bullying. It was as much a psychological tactic as anything as technically the chooks could have flown over, but did not tend to. Feeding both "sides" of chooks close to the boundary fence and letting them see each other while being separate seemed to help. Eventually they were talking to each other through the fence and that is when we took fence down - there were still some pecking order issues to sort out, but far more manageable after the enforced separation.

[Egluntyne]

Oh well. Looks as if no-one wants to help...

 

...I'll figure something out myself.

 

I think we were all watching Coronation Street!

 

I'd separate her for spells during the day to let the others eat and drink.

 

If you can keep her in separate accommodation for a few days, or even a week, she might learn some manners, and then when re-introduced to the flock, she will go in at the bottom of the pile.

 

Good luck

[piptiddlepip]

Thank you all so much for your nice comments. And I thought I'd been deserted!

 

I like the idea of splitting the run. So I'm off to B&Q to get some canes this lunchtime (I need some anyway for my grapevine!) and I will set up some temporary accomodation for the Evil One at night. Meanwhile I will give her lots of handling and try to calm her down a bit. In the meantime my others can get some peace and quiet. I'll also try sprinkling some treats along either side of the "Great Chicken Wall" to try and get them used to eating together...

 

If she's blocked off from the nesting box, is it ok to give her a cardboard box with some hay in for if she wants to lay? Will she be ok with that? She's the only one laying so far. I don't know if that's due to stress in the others.

[dancing cloud]

Don't have a computer at home, so my forum-watching is a work-break activity.

 

I agree with the advice of the others. If she's nasty, squirt her with a water pistol or separate her as soon as you see it and make her go in a "naughty corner". Hope is my number 3 hen and the bully of the group. If she starts on one of the others, she gets picked up and put elsewhere in the yard or garden, or squirted with the water pistol (get one, they work a treat ). One day I shut her in the Cube run by herself for 10 mins (after everyone had done with the nestbox) and after a lot of squawking, she soon calmed down and seemed quite penitent when let out (didn't last long).

 

It is upsetting to see the others on the wrong end of one hen's temper, but stick with it, it does get better

[SarahJo]

Split the run and give a temp nest box if required. Make sure they all have access to food and water, even if you have to use other bowls etc.

 

Snowy is out at the moment, Ebony is laying and the 2 new girls are chilling in the whole of the run, having something to eat and drink, and a bit of newbie time. I have "scruffed" Ebony and Snowy at night - to stop bullying, and interestingly, Snowy the top bird took on a submissive position as a result. They know I am top bird

 

It will settle - just have to jiggle around a bit in the first couple of weeks.

[piptiddlepip]

What's scruffing, please? Is that where you push them down in to a submissive stance? I've been trying that with her every now and then. It does seem to help somewhat.

[piptiddlepip]

Right! B&Q are having a cheapie on garden canes at the moment so I bought two bundles of them and I've got a cardboard box for her to sleep/lay in during the day. I'm not sure yet whether I will separate her at night. Perhaps I will wait until they're all sleepy before I put her in the roosting box, or maybe I will keep her inside for a night or two in the kitchen (in a box obviously!)

 

Let's hope this works!

[SarahJo]

Yes - Scruffing is a word I personally use, basically I just grab the back of the hens neck and hold it tight, pushing down slightly. This in no way hurts Snowy, but does give her a little "pecking" from me.

 

If they have been going in at night together so far, I would keep this up. Let the bully go in 1st and then pop the others, that way she will get to settle in her place of choice and feel less need to fight.

 

I have let in the older ones and then the younger ones and vice versa and there is still a little squabble, this will be the 6th night for me

[Chicken Licken]

Fenny is my bully chook - she is an original omlet girl whilst barry and primrose are the newcomers. She tolerates Barry completely but always pecks at poor old primrose. I periodically squirt her with the squirty bottle and always make sure there is food and water in more than one place so they can all eat and drink. Poor old Primrose is the biggest, but softest chookie of the lot!!

[SarahJo]

There are lots of little approaches you can use to help ease the initial squabbles. It does not always happen in new hens - more often when 1 or more are introduced to an established group.

 

Interestingly enough - Mrs Snowy who is the oldest and you would think the top hen, is the pecker - especially of the smallest hen, Jas. This is probably due to her not laying anymore, and her rank has slipped - so she is vying for 2nd in command to Ebony.

[piptiddlepip]

Well, I let the Evil One out for a little range for a couple of hours this evening. She had a marvellous time, and once the others had realised she couldn't get at them they came out into the run and had a good old scratch about themselves. When I came up to her at first she crouched down and stomped a bit, and I realised she was doing her "Ok, you're the boss" bit! So it seems to be working! Every now and then I gently push her down - but she seems to be rebelling against this just now. She lets me stroke her, though.

 

I'm going to bring her in for a cuddle on my lap like I did last night, then pop her back into the coop when she is sleepy. I have her "sin bin" ready for tomorrow - I will be separating her from the others by cunning use of garden canes, so they can see each other but the others are safe from her.

[SarahJo]

Hope it goes well today - you will be able to have them together, it just sometimes takes a few more drives around the block

[sandyhas3chucks]

Streuth where were you lot when I asked same sort of question? Well thanks there are some great ideas there as my ist Bully is now less of a satan than the 2nd. I am hopefully gettinf a friend for my excluded one, from someone that has been bullied badly. I will def try the picking up bit as the nastiest is atually the one that likes to be handled least.

I am rewally glad I checked back in, easy to miss a vital post.! thanks all

[piptiddlepip]

THANK YOU ALL! Yesterday morning I went to put Esme (formerly Gytha, now renamed due to her being the boss, they've had a name shuffle) in her "sin bin" for the day. But she got so distressed, clucking and throwing herself at the "bars" and trying to fly over them, eventualy I took them out and went off to work for the day thinking "I'll think of something, or I'll have to sell her."

 

well, when I came home, all four were happily pecking about in the dirt together, best friends. And Esme had laid me a lovely new egg to say thank you for not shutting her in the sin bin.

 

Do you think the "short sharp shock" did her good?

 

The irony of this is that now Esme is the friendliest and best behaved of all my chooks due to the handling and time I've spent with her. So I need to do some work with the other chooks as well this week.