2 chicken flock and one is a bully

[Esther1338]

Hi All,

I have been "spying" for almost a year now but now I need some help and would love some advice.

I had a flock of 2 Golden Comets when I started in June of 2017. They both got along really nicely. Unfortunately one of them died in March. I didn't want her to be alone so I got a Welsummer. After one of two pecks she was the head mistress and that was that. Unfortunately my other Golden Comet died a few weeks ago and now my Welsummer was alone. So again I got a new chicken this time a Delaware (both the Welsummer and the Delaware come from the same farm and are the same age) I introduced them according to all the tips I read on this wonderful site. Since Saturday they share my Elgu Go up (3 meter run) The Delaware is now the Alpha, she is beautiful and friendly to me but a bully to my Welsummer. She won't let the Welsummer eat or drink without a nasty peck and some serious chasing. I placed another feeder and waterer in the coop/run (on the opposite side) hoping that this will help. Unfortunately so far it hasn't. I don't think that putting the bully in the Penalty box will help because I only have 2 chickens. Any tips? Or do I just have to be more patient?

 

[Table4Six]

For know I would keep them separate, but still able to see each other. This should help settle and calm things down a little bit. Getting a few more hens would also help to balance things out and give the delaware some other chickens to reckon with, so the bullying is not all on the welsummer at least. Hopefully you could even get another chicken to give your delaware a run for her money as alfa and settle every thing. Good luck. Keep me posted on what's happening.

 

[Mrs. K]

Set up some mini walls, just pieces of plywood, where the bird can get out of sight of each other. Set them up so as while feeding at one spot, a bird cannot see another bird feeding at the other spot.

Make sure your walls are not traps, but can be exited two ways.

Most small set ups I have seen have just a small bare rectangle for the run. Adding some roosts, some platforms, some hideouts make it much more interesting to the birds. Get some junk in there to make it hard to chase, easy to escape, and I think it will settle down.

If not go back to where you got these birds and see if you can exchange for a pair that does get along.

Mrs.K

 

[Mitsos Lamprogiorgos]

Time will cure the problems.
Some salt added in their feed will help and some chamomile will make them less stressed.

 

[GC-Raptor]

In my observations with chickens over two years. Threes better than two.
I had 5 hens, lost two earlier this year.
The Alfa hen pecks the lowest, but only at snack time as in tossing seeds on the ground.
She never picks the middle hen.
When not snacking, the middle hen hangs with the lowest hen.
So the lowest hen has a buddy. .
So I recommend at least three hens minimum for an outdoor flock. GC

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The only sure way to ensure perfect peace in a flock of chickens is to only own ONE chicken at a time.

Therefor cull one hen and you can be sure peace will break out.

 

[Esther1338]

Thank you all. My run is 32sqft technically I could add another bird however I feel it might be a bit of a squeeze since they can’t free range all the time. I will keep an eye on them add some “privacy fencing” and separate the bully of that doesn’t work.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens that are the same kind or type of chicken and that are raised together usually live peacefully. Notice i said usually. chickens are animals and I don't think that they read many of the reference books written about chickens little less write any of these reference books.

I almost forgot....

 

[Krazyquilts]

In my observations with chickens over two years. Threes better than two.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Get a third hen and the bully won't be able to concentrate on picking on any one individual hen. That and the integration process already mentioned earlier in this thread.

 

[aart]

Some salt added in their feed will help

Salt??