Brooding and/or Bullying?

[Whatsupchickenbutt16]

First time chicken owner and not sure what to do with Ginger, a Rhode Island Red who’s been pecking my other two girls (an Easter egger and Wyandotte). She’s stopped laying the last 5 days and I assume brooding based on her puffed up feathers and growling.

We tried separating her in the run in a dog pen for 3 days but that didn’t seem to help. Should I try longer?

Today I let her out and am just keeping an eye on her free ranging, but she just finds some dirt to lay in (which is fine) and then eventually tries to get back to the coop where she takes it over and doesn’t let the other girls in.

The other girls are pecking back at her and seem to be bullying her but I don’t blame them because their butts are bare from ginger pecking theirs. I know chicken behavior is odd but just not sure if this is a forever issue or I need to wait it out.

Any help on what to do is appreciated or maybe it’s time to try and rehome her?

A picture of the run and setup for reference

 

[DobieLover]

Should I try longer?

Yes. Can you post a picture of your broody breaker?
You need to use a wire crate and elevate it so air can easily circulate around it. You can have a small board in it for the hen to sit on so her feet are off the wire. I suspend a bottle with a vertical poultry nipple for water and have a dish for food. Leave her in the breaker day and night for 5 days straight. If it is very warm where you are, you can also add in a COOL water belly dunk and stick her back in her broody breaker soaking wet. You can do that once or twice a day. That will help further cool her belly to try to break her broodiness.
Let her out about 2 hours before roost time on the fifth day and see if she roosts. If she goes to the nest box, grab her and put her back in the breaker for another night/day and try again the next night. Keep going until she roosts.

she just finds some dirt to lay in (which is fine)

She is taking a bath in the photo you posted. They do that on broody breaks.

the coop

Your setup is quite small so there is no way for the other 2 hens to get away from Ginger (who is not a RIR, BTW, but a production red)

The other girls are pecking back at her and seem to be bullying her

It is normal for hens to peck at broody hens because their behavior is so different.

 

[Whatsupchickenbutt16]

Yes. Can you post a picture of your broody breaker?
You need to use a wire crate and elevate it so air can easily circulate around it. You can have a small board in it for the hen to sit on so her feet are off the wire. I suspend a bottle with a vertical poultry nipple for water and have a dish for food. Leave her in the breaker day and night for 5 days straight. If it is very warm where you are, you can also add in a COOL water belly dunk and stick her back in her broody breaker soaking wet. You can do that once or twice a day. That will help further cool her belly to try to break her broodiness.
Let her out about 2 hours before roost time on the fifth day and see if she roosts. If she goes to the nest box, grab her and put her back in the breaker for another night/day and try again the next night. Keep going until she roosts.

She is taking a bath in the photo you posted. They do that on broody breaks.

Your setup is quite small so there is no way for the other 2 hens to get away from Ginger (who is not a RIR, BTW, but a production red)

It is normal for hens to peck at broody hens because their behavior is so different.

Okay thanks - does she need to be in the run or just close by? I ask because I have a wire crate but if it rains that will get her wet. Do you think her pecking the others is related to her brooding? Hoping that stops with separation.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Okay thanks - does she need to be in the run or just close by? I ask because I have a wire crate but if it rains that will get her wet. Do you think her pecking the others is related to her brooding? Hoping that stops with separation.

Ideally in the run but if you have to put her in the garage or some other sheltered location during rain, that's fine.

No her picking issues are not related to brooding. How many birds do you have? What do you currently feed them? Is the run the area with the pink flowers all over the ground, and if so, do they have full access to it during daylight hours or is access restricted? Or are they mostly kept in the smaller area where the coop is?

 

[Whatsupchickenbutt16]

Ideally in the run but if you have to put her in the garage or some other sheltered location during rain, that's fine.

No her picking issues are not related to brooding. How many birds do you have? What do you currently feed them? Is the run the area with the pink flowers all over the ground, and if so, do they have full access to it during daylight hours or is access restricted? Or are they mostly kept in the smaller area where the coop is?

Thanks; yes I have 3 birds total and yes they have full access to the run (the area with the fallen flowers-about 350 square feet) during the day. I give them a pre mixed food 16% protein - a mix from my local feed store. And then scraps/treats a couple times a day.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks; yes I have 3 birds total and yes they have full access to the run (the area with the fallen flowers-about 350 square feet) during the day. I give them a pre mixed food 16% protein - a mix from my local feed store. And then scraps/treats a couple times a day.

I'd start with increasing the protein to 18-20%, and cutting back on treats. The run space looks very good for 3 birds but it looks a bit barren in the middle, so adding some clutter to give them things to do might help as a distraction.

If neither of the above makes much difference, pinless peepers would be the next thing to try.

 

[Whatsupchickenbutt16]

I'd start with increasing the protein to 18-20%, and cutting back on treats. The run space looks very good for 3 birds but it looks a bit barren in the middle, so adding some clutter to give them things to do might help as a distraction.

If neither of the above makes much difference, pinless peepers would be the next thing to try.

Are the pin less peepers a temporary thing, ie do they eventually stop this behavior? Just wondering if rehoming to a different flock is better for her

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are the pin less peepers a temporary thing, ie do they eventually stop this behavior? Just wondering if rehoming to a different flock is better for her

They're generally used for a period of time (a couple of weeks to a couple months) to deter the behavior, but it's not a permanent solution. It's entirely possible that she could pick up on it again after they're removed.

 

[Whatsupchickenbutt16]

Yes. Can you post a picture of your broody breaker?
You need to use a wire crate and elevate it so air can easily circulate around it. You can have a small board in it for the hen to sit on so her feet are off the wire. I suspend a bottle with a vertical poultry nipple for water and have a dish for food. Leave her in the breaker day and night for 5 days straight. If it is very warm where you are, you can also add in a COOL water belly dunk and stick her back in her broody breaker soaking wet. You can do that once or twice a day. That will help further cool her belly to try to break her broodiness.
Let her out about 2 hours before roost time on the fifth day and see if she roosts. If she goes to the nest box, grab her and put her back in the breaker for another night/day and try again the next night. Keep going until she roosts.

She is taking a bath in the photo you posted. They do that on broody breaks.

Your setup is quite small so there is no way for the other 2 hens to get away from Ginger (who is not a RIR, BTW, but a production red)

It is normal for hens to peck at broody hens because their behavior is so different.

Hi! Just wanted to thank you again and let you know it worked! Curious when my production red will start producing again now that she’s back to not brooding…do you happen to know?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi! Just wanted to thank you again and let you know it worked! Curious when my production red will start producing again now that she’s back to not brooding…do you happen to know?

Glad to hear it.
It takes a few weeks.