A broody Hen and a Bully

[HB72]

Hello Everyone,

I have a broody Columbia Wyandotte, I have been putting her in chicken 'jail' during the day in the run for two days now, i.e. in a dog cage with a hardware wire floor slightly elevated with food and drink. Normally I would leave here there 24x7 but it's been cold down to the low 30's and mid 20's so I hesitate to keep her outside overnight to break her and have been letting her back in the coop at night to roost. I considered covering the cage with a blanket but just wasn't sure if she would be okay alone in those temps.

To add to the mix our Barred Rock is targeting her and bullying her, even in the dog pen the barred rock will charge her, if the Wyandotte is out of the cage its like the barred rock hunts her down. This is new and just started when the wyandotte got broody.

So now I find myself wondering if I need to get another dog cage and isolate the bully hen too? It seems they are playing off each other and making it worse.

Also, in your expert opinions; can I let the Wyandotte stay outside in the dog cage if I cover it with a blanket tonight to see if that breaks her broodiness sooner?

Thank you for any advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Are you sure the Wyandotte is broody if she's roosting at night?

Could be that she's not well and this is why she's being targeted.

I'd get her up and moving during the day and put on her on the roost at night. See that she's eating/drinking well. Check to see that her crop is emptying overnight and look her over for lice/mites.

IME, isolating a "bully" isn't effective. Likely what you have is the dominant or one of the top 3 hens that are going on after the Wyandotte. Isolating a top tier hen you can do that, when she comes out of isolation, she's going to dominate again.

How much space do you have and how many hens?

 

[HB72]

Are you sure the Wyandotte is broody if she's roosting at night?

Could be that she's not well and this is why she's being targeted.

I'd get her up and moving during the day and put on her on the roost at night. See that she's eating/drinking well. Check to see that her crop is emptying overnight and look her over for lice/mites.

IME, isolating a "bully" isn't effective. Likely what you have is the dominant or one of the top 3 hens that are going on after the Wyandotte. Isolating a top tier hen you can do that, when she comes out of isolation, she's going to dominate again.

How much space do you have and how many hens?

Thank you for the suggestions! She is eating and drinking normally during the day, I blocked off the nesting boxes at night, as she wants to be in them so I have kind of forced her to roost at night. I will check for mites and lice. I haven't check her crop but will do that, is it best to check it first thing in the morning vs after she's been eating all day?

We have 6 hens and their run outside is 16 feet x 10 feet. Their coop is big and they have tons of roosting space to all spread out.

I wondered the same thing with isolating the barred rock, she's got such a strong personality I doubted it would change anything...

Appreciate your help!!

 

[Pukkits]

We had a severe bullying problem years ago that ended with a bunch of bully hens moving to a neighbor with free range because some just would not coexist. One of our Orpington hens we thought was *always* broody was actually hiding in the nest box, to the point she would eat eggs to survive. Once we removed the bullies, she was only broody when she was actually broody.

I would definitely work on some bully remediation, as your broody hen may not stop until she feels she doesn't need to hide. We borrowed a trail cam so we could observe their actions when there wasn't a person standing there. It was very illuminating. I hope you can get your barred rock to behave so you can have a less clouded issue with your Wyandotte.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the suggestions! She is eating and drinking normally during the day, I blocked off the nesting boxes at night, as she wants to be in them so I have kind of forced her to roost at night. I will check for mites and lice. I haven't check her crop but will do that, is it best to check it first thing in the morning vs after she's been eating all day?

The best way to check the crop is first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink.

If she's roaming about during the day, eating/drinking and acting normal and only wanting to "sleep" in the nesting boxes at roosting time, it's highly unlikely she's broody.

I'd watch to see how much drama is going on during roosting time, something has changed. It may be the Wyandotte is not well. Could be the BR sees something...hard to know.
BR's do have somewhat of a strong personality, if she's top hen, she's not going to become docile by isolating her. She'll just come right back on climb the ladder. Is the Wyandotte the only one of her breed in the flock?

We have 6 hens and their run outside is 16 feet x 10 feet. Their coop is big and they have tons of roosting space to all spread out.

I wondered the same thing with isolating the barred rock, she's got such a strong personality I doubted it would change anything...