Mean, mean "Attilla the Hen"

[Willowspirit]

It just occurred to me to ask how she gets along with hen #1? Maybe she is trying not to slip too far down the pecking order from hen 1.

 

[MomJones]

Doesn't anyone cull anymore?

 

[DobieLover]

Doesn't anyone cull anymore?

Sure!
Others love their chickens and want to try all behavior modification tactics before resorting to that. It's a personal decision. The OP is trying to work things out.
It's also not completely unheard of for people to work on learning how to properly behave in chicken society so as to establish or maintain a harmonious relationship with their rooster vs. eating him. It's a personal decision.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

It sure is good to know that I'm not the only one with a little Miss Vicious problem. I put her in lock up for about a week then put her back with the rest of the flock. Not only did she corner and attack the littles, she walked up behind another hen and just bit her. She is better now. I've been keeping the littles confined inside the coop and have just started supervised "free ranging" together. That is going well with Miss Vicious only chasing one of them back into their spot in the coop. The littles are still terrified of her. My next step is likely to swap the littles' "getting to know you" pen and make that lock-up for mean chickens. Good luck with Attila.

 

[FiddleChics]

Cool beans! Please report back on how things work out after Plan A and if you had to resort to Plan B. I'm afraid Plan C will be rehoming her.
If my lowest ranking hen continues the way she has with the 15 six-week old chicks that haven't been allowed into the coop full time yet due to lack of an attached run, I'm going straight to the pinless peepers for a week or two.

Thanks @DobieLover - I really don't want to have to re-home her... but I can't stand the constant nastiness, growling and vicious behavior... it quickly takes the joy out of everything I love about the coop & my little feather hearts.

Attilla the Hen (& the Alpha) are sitting on the nest, laying right now - and the chicks are running and playing so happily outside, peeping joyfully & having fun. I set up fresh water/food in the time out box - for Attilla's extended stay, and as soon as she's off the nest - she'll go into the time out box.

I was also battling some serious broodyness with Attilla, a few weeks ago... oof!!! THAT was awful too... she's really pushing the limits lately! But I just can not abide with her nastiness & cruelty to the chicks. Do you think a large cat crate is ok for her - for night time, inside the coop?

 

[FiddleChics]

It sure is good to know that I'm not the only one with a little Miss Vicious problem. I put her in lock up for about a week then put her back with the rest of the flock. Not only did she corner and attack the littles, she walked up behind another hen and just bit her. She is better now. I've been keeping the littles confined inside the coop and have just started supervised "free ranging" together. That is going well with Miss Vicious only chasing one of them back into their spot in the coop. The littles are still terrified of her. My next step is likely to swap the littles' "getting to know you" pen and make that lock-up for mean chickens. Good luck with Attila.

That's what I've done - the XL dog crate was the chick's pen... at first. Good idea. At first, I totally expected some feathers to fly, and some pecking and chasing to establish & make clear that there is the 'pecking order'. But 3 weeks of solid "look don't touch' with the chicks inside the coop in a cage also so they saw each other at night... THEN... 10 days BEFORE that - of nice day visits inside the run but still safe behind a fence... and I THOUGHT maybe that would be good... but Attilla's unmerciful.

Even giving her & the Alpha hen a separate treat... I hung 2 ears of corn on the cob (they LOVE that) but with every bite she took... she growled viscously... and there were no chicks even there! She was just loudly growling as she stabbed at the corn... It's almost like she's mental. There wasn't even a reason for her to be growling... she was just growling. I don't get it.

 

[FiddleChics]

It just occurred to me to ask how she gets along with hen #1? Maybe she is trying not to slip too far down the pecking order from hen 1.

Attilla & the Alpha hen are good buddies. They stay together all the time, scratching, eating, drinking side by side My Alpha is stern, but she's fair & balanced. She is sweet natured with me - but rules the roost like an Alpha hen should... but keeps a nice balance & is strict, but kindly with the chicks.

 

[DobieLover]

Thanks @DobieLover - I really don't want to have to re-home her... but I can't stand the constant nastiness, growling and vicious behavior... it quickly takes the joy out of everything I love about the coop & my little feather hearts.

Attilla the Hen (& the Alpha) are sitting on the nest, laying right now - and the chicks are running and playing so happily outside, peeping joyfully & having fun. I set up fresh water/food in the time out box - for Attilla's extended stay, and as soon as she's off the nest - she'll go into the time out box.

I was also battling some serious broodyness with Attilla, a few weeks ago... oof!!! THAT was awful too... she's really pushing the limits lately! But I just can not abide with her nastiness & cruelty to the chicks. Do you think a large cat crate is ok for her - for night time, inside the coop?

Well... I was actually the bigger proponent of the pinless peepers. That way she can still interact with the flock but won't lose her noodle trying to kill the chicks. If you put them on her for 2 weeks or so, that is going to allow all the birds to interact together and she won't be able to peck the chicks while they continue to gain size and integrate in with the hens. I don't really believe "time out" works for chickens like it does for toddlers. It requires the ability to sit and 'think about what you've done' and chickens don't do that. When you put her in the crate, you are just knocking her down in the pecking order and I think that is the current source of her aggression. She sees all these little chickens that are potentially going to outrank her and she'll be damned if that is going to happen.
I have 10 hens and a rooster and 15 six-week old chicks. Hands down the two hens giving the chicks the hardest time are the HBIC and the lowest ranking hen. I feel that the lowest ranking hen does not want these littles to shove her even further down to the bottom of an a new taller totem pole.

 

[aart]

I feel that the lowest ranking hen does not want these littles to shove her even further down a new taller totem pole.

...or they are finally glad to have someone lower to beat on.

HBIC!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I think you are more patient than me. I've heard, but not tried that giving the aggressive hen a bath will sometimes mellow her out.