Zinnia is in Chicken Jail

[Aunt Angus]

Ok. I have my BPR in chicken jail for bullying. I'll be leaving her there for a couple of days.

Now for the dumb question I searched for answers for but couldn't find: Do I leave her in jail at night, too, or can I let her roost? I can move the crate into the coop, no prob, if she needs to stay there overnight.

Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How "bad" is she bullying? Drawing blood or just chasing/keeping others from food/treats - acting like a head hen?
Got a video of it?
How much space do you have?

I would say if you are putting her in jail, she needs to stay in jail.
Some have had success with jailing others find that pinless peepers work.

 

[Aunt Angus]

How "bad" is she bullying? Drawing blood or just chasing/keeping others from food/treats - acting like a head hen?
Got a video of it?
How much space do you have?

I would say if you are putting her in jail, she needs to stay in jail.
Some have had success with jailing others find that pinless peepers work.

She drew blood. Cornered a pullet and beat her up. I don't have video of that, just of her chasing.

I have 5 hens who have 114 sq ft run but free range most of every day. She cornered my Welsummer in the yard.

I panicked a little when I saw it happen and put her in jail right away. But I will try the peepers, too.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She drew blood. Cornered a pullet and beat her up. I don't have video of that, just of her chasing.

I have 5 hens who have 114 sq ft run but free range most of every day. She cornered my Welsummer in the yard.

I panicked a little when I saw it happen and put her in jail right away. But I will try the peepers, too.

Pecking comb draw blood or beat up/ripped skin draw blood. I'm not trying to needle you.
We all have a certain "tolerance" level I suppose, I'm just trying to understand the severity of it.

She must not be top hen, is she lowest in pecking order? How old is the pullet compared to the hen?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Pecking comb draw blood or beat up/ripped skin draw blood. I'm not trying to needle you.
We all have a certain "tolerance" level I suppose, I'm just trying to understand the severity of it.

She must not be top hen, is she lowest in pecking order? How old is the pullet compared to the hen?

She is top hen. The lowest in the pecking order is a Cochin who is the only one who actually tolerates the young one. And I misspoke. They are all pullets. Zinnia and the other big girls are 11 months. Youngest is almost 3 months, but they are pretty close in size.

I don't take your questions as needling at all. My tolerance level is low, I think, because I've not had these issues before. I don't really know how much is too much. I posted a video of some of the interactions a few weeks back and was told that since Zinnia isnt letting the little eat, I needed to intervene. Believe me, I searched and searched and read and read trying to figure out what is normal pecking order stuff and what constitutes bullying. I came up empty handed and decided then that my threshold would be drawing blood. She drew blood. I threw her in jail.

Here's the video from a few weeks back. Little Bryony is much bigger now.

 

[Col1948]

Another idea is lock her up as you have done but keep her out of sight of the rest of the flock for about a week or more, then re-introduce her.
She will be regarded as a new member and she will be bullied by the rest of the flock to put/keep her down in the pecking order.
The flock don't see her as an old friend but as a new member and she will end up at the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[aart]

5 hens and a single pullet?

 

[Aunt Angus]

5 hens and a single pullet?

I gave her to my broody. Lesson learned. If I'd known, I'd have gotten more chicks, but I was expecting a shipment, and I hoped mama would have integrated her better. All of what I'd read said that she'd be fine if raised by mama.

I know, I know: I'm an idiot. Try not to rub it in too much...

 

[Aunt Angus]

What's worse is that all of the chicks I ordered died anyway. I could have gotten more. I *should* have gotten more. But, as aformentioned, I am an idiot.

 

[aart]

Ah, hard lessons...we've all been thru some of those.
...and sometimes broody can do that job just fine.....tho I've noticed when broody weans them they almost have a harder time than incubated chicks integrated young, they are just so lost when mama leaves them on their own.