Hens aggressive towards new mama

[DragonflyAcres]

I have 3 Legbar hens and one of them, Dot, keeps going broody so I let her hatch some eggs this summer. The chicks are 2 weeks old. During the time that Dot was sitting on her eggs, she stayed with her sisters, but I kept her area divided because Wakko kept laying eggs in her nest every day. She would, however, come out twice a day to eat, drink, and dust bathe with the other girls. She was completely enclosed but still in the same living area for the first week or so after hatch. Now she's got her own space to relax with her babies, but I do let her out with them into the larger run, under supervision, as often as I'm able.

The other two hens, Yakko and Wakko, keep picking fights with her. She does everything possible to get away from these fights, but she can and will put the smackdown on either of the other hens if necessary. I've seen her take Wakko down twice, and she caused a minor comb injury to Wakko one of those times. Yakko has also developed a habit of trying to bite and twist Dot's comb. This happened once when she was broody before I divided her area (I think they were fighting over the nest space) and now Yakko doesn't want to stop doing it.

Thankfully nobody is hurting the chicks. They got a peck or two early on, and Dot put the perpetrators neatly in their place! Now they are a totally protected class.

I was worried about Dot being aggressive, because she was VERY aggressive when she was broody, but honestly I'm having the opposite problem. Any advice? I really don't know how to handle this one. She just wants to hang with her babies, and she's getting picked on.

 

[aart]

You need to let them work it out.
Not unusual for a broody to have to fight her way back into the pecking order.
Every time you separate them, the process needs to be repeated.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

You need to let them work it out.
Not unusual for a broody to have to fight her way back into the pecking order.
Every time you separate them, the process needs to be repeated.

How much fighting is too much? I am afraid of them seriously hurting each other.

 

[aart]

How much fighting is too much?

Copious blood letting, pinning down and beating unmercilessly.
If that happens, isolate the aggressor.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

What is "pinning down"? Dot gets up on Wakko's back and grabs her feathers until Wakko submits, but then she lets go and walks away. It's usually over quite quickly. And she only does this when Wakko attacks first, she's not the aggressor.

 

[aart]

What is "pinning down"? Dot gets up on Wakko's back and grabs her feathers until Wakko submits, but then she lets go and walks away. It's usually over quite quickly. And she only does this when Wakko attacks first, she's not the aggressor.

Sounds like pinning down, for dominance reasons.
Bu no blood and over quickly, so leave it alone.

 

[DragonflyAcres]

Sounds like pinning down, for dominance reasons.
Bu no blood and over quickly, so leave it alone.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[DragonflyAcres]

I think they have things pretty well worked out now. I'm enjoying seeing the whole flock -- 3 adults, 4 teenagers, and 3 babies -- getting along together. (Mostly.)