My Wellsummer is an Ahole!!!

[sharrielee]

I have a flock of about 30 hens of various ages, sizes and breeds. My newest members are about 6months now which is 1 Wellsummer, 2 Barred Rock, 1 Legbar and 1 Faverolles. All has been well until recently my Wellsummer attacks 1 older little cochen partrige. I mean she beelines it for her, so now my little hen hides, and makes baby noises all the time. It's very sad.
I have taken to locking my Wellsummer out of the run during the day so that hopefully my little hen can eat and get water. But I also noticed that now a couple others have started chasing (bluebell especially) her becuase of my wellsummer.
What to do?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Did your welsummer draw blood or cause injury? If not put her back in. The more you try to stop the pecking order being sorted the longer it will take and you continue to have the scuffles. The welsummer is the new kid on the block and just trying to make sure that she doesn’t end up on the bottom. When young chickens get put in with older ones if they don’t they to assert themselves immediately they end up bullied straight to the bottom. Again if no injuries set up multiple waterers/feeders, make sure there is clutter for them to hide under/behind and let them sort it out.

 

[sharrielee]

She hasn't drawn blood yet, but she is much larger than the old little hen she it attacking. The older hen has lost alot of weight as she just hides in the coop now, she is afraid to eat. I don't know what to do, that's why I took the other out.
They have all been together for several months now. And the little hen is very docile.

 

[WingItRanch]

She hasn't drawn blood yet, but she is much larger than the old little hen she it attacking. The older hen has lost alot of weight as she just hides in the coop now, she is afraid to eat. I don't know what to do, that's why I took the other out.
They have all been together for several months now. And the little hen is very docile.

Try @HollowOfWisps advice and add more waterers and feeders. It really does help. And providing your little hen an area she can hide would be good.

I don't think removing the welsummer will help much because the little hen is already a target to others.

 

[sharrielee]

I'll try again, there are 2 of each water/food now and flock blocks as well. And when I get home from work I let them all out to forage.
I just don't think the little hen will come out of the coop

 

[WingItRanch]

I'll try again, there are 2 of each water/food now and flock blocks as well. And when I get home from work I let them all out to forage.
I just don't think the little hen will come out of the coop

I hope they work it out! Pecking order can be hard to watch sometimes.

 

[sharrielee]

It's rough for sure! Thank you.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have had chickens for years. I am experienced, and have a lot of space. I have a lot of clutter. I have 4 feed bowls for 13 birds. While I have had some bluster in the past, I have never had what is descibed in this post until this summer.

I had an older BA hen, to whom, the rooster and one younger hen took an extreme exception to. Chasing the bird relentlessly. I took to letting her out, leaving him in. In the fall, I reduce my flock to fit my coop and frankly both were on the list.

But I hadn't got to it, and I had a young coyote take a hen and rooster. But the thing is - tension immediately dropped in the flock. The rest of the flock works well with the BA. She will now be kept.

Sometimes you get a bird that doesn't work. My advice to the OP, decide which bird you like, and remove the other to someone else's flock or invite to supper.

Mrs K

 

[Andkingquail]

Yah I had a similar experience with my wellsummer I would nesecerily recommend the breed it's not very docile.

 

[Perris]

There is an alternative explanation for the behaviour that you may want to consider. The old hen may be ill and the welsummer may perceive it as a threat to herself/ the flock.

the old little hen she it attacking. The older hen has lost alot of weight as she just hides in the coop now

the weight loss may be because she is ill, rather than because

she is afraid to eat

You can test this by separating her and seeing how much she eats when not threatened. She should be ravenous if it was just the welsummer keeping her from food. If she just nibbles or pretends to eat, she's ill.

the little hen is very docile

this also may be because she is ill.