Aggressive 6 mos hen...HELP!

[mikella080]

Hello! I am embarrassed to tell anyone that I am losing sleep over a a 6 month ameraucana chicken but I know y'all get it. Soooo, I have 3, 6 mos old hens that have been raised together since chicks. A week and a half ago, my 5 year old son closed the coop door on one of their legs. She is getting stronger and putting more weight on her leg (based on progress, I believe she will fully recover) but is still limping. Other than that she is in good spirits. Yesterday evening, I caught her and another hen going at it, puffing up their feathers and pecking each other violently. At first, I thought the bully was the healthy chicken but the instigator seems to be the injured hen. I have now separated her from the other two but when I try to introduce them to see if they are past their issues, she goes back at it. We have to leave for Europe in two weeks and this needs to be remedied quickly! Any advise?

 

[CarpCharacin]

Welcome to BYC!
I've moved your thread to the Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying section, I think you'll get more assistance there.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Separation is about all you can do until she's feeling less vulnerable. Can you afford any supervised time around the flock? A squirt bottle can go a long way with an aggressive hen if you're there to catch her doing it.

Just in case maybe start brainstorming some kind of temp housing for her for while you're away? Do you have a friend who could take her while you're gone?

 

[mikella080]

Separation is about all you can do until she's feeling less vulnerable. Can you afford any supervised time around the flock? A squirt bottle can go a long way with an aggressive hen if you're there to catch her doing it.

Just in case maybe start brainstorming some kind of temp housing for her for while you're away? Do you have a friend who could take her while you're gone?

A squirt bottle is GENIUS! I will spend all day with her if I have to =) Thank you for your suggestion! #ILoveBackyardChickenPeeps

 

[keesmom]

They are nearing laying age. Hormones can make them cranky.

Is she separated within sight? If not then they may treat her as a stranger when you reintroduce her and that will definitely cause more squabbling.

 

[Henriettamom919]

They are nearing laying age. Hormones can make them cranky.

Is she separated within sight? If not then they may treat her as a stranger when you reintroduce her and that will definitely cause more squabbling.

YES! When I separated my bully chicken a few months back I at first made the mistake of total seclusion which only led to more issues. When you separate it's most effective, at least in my experience, that the others see her but she can't join them. This kind of reset the pecking order and the squirt bottle was used when she rejoined the flock when she tested the new structure.

Now my bullied girl is still the docile one but our alpha no longer outright attacks her/seeks her out.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Oh! I almost forgot, positively reinforce GOOD behavior when they're together. If all the bully gets is separation and then punishment when they are together she'll likely get worse. Mine did.

I found offering treats and praising her, giving her loves was essential to getting her to mellow out. If I squirted her I'd offer her some comfort shortly afterward and an opportunity to act the "right" way; I'd put down some oats and then coo at her for sharing properly, etc.

 

[mikella080]

They are nearing laying age. Hormones can make them cranky.

Is she separated within sight? If not then they may treat her as a stranger when you reintroduce her and that will definitely cause more squabbling.

Yup, she is separated with in sight. Thank you!

 

[mikella080]

Oh! I almost forgot, positively reinforce GOOD behavior when they're together. If all the bully gets is separation and then punishment when they are together she'll likely get worse. Mine did.

I found offering treats and praising her, giving her loves was essential to getting her to mellow out. If I squirted her I'd offer her some comfort shortly afterward and an opportunity to act the "right" way; I'd put down some oats and then coo at her for sharing properly, etc.

Just like with my 5 year old son...minus the squirt bottle. Lol. I just went out and did this with my injured bully hen and it totally worked! I will do this a few times a day? Thank you so much for the great advice! Wish me luck!

 

[Henriettamom919]

Just like with my 5 year old son...minus the squirt bottle. Lol. I just went out and did this with my injured bully hen and it totally worked! I will do this a few times a day? Thank you so much for the great advice! Wish me luck!

Yes, be as present as your time affords for the first few days and just give your injured baby extra treats and loves and she'll come around!