Oldest hen is attacking rest of flock

[Oldegarlicshnapp]

My oldest hen seems especially stressed out by the young flock I got to keep her company. One of them is a bit larger than her and used to take food away from her. Since then, she’s been attacking all of them whenever they eat. Rather than pecking their backs to instill a pecking order, she’s biting and pulling on them. Once she had a grip on their feathers and didn’t let go for a good distance.
The problem isn’t that they’re getting near her eating area, but she keeps everyone away from all the food. It also looks like she’s been over eating and the rest aren’t nearly as full.

What can I do?

 

[Isadora]

One thing you can do that will help for sure is to have multiple feeding stations several feet away from each other so she can't guard all the food at once.

 

[Tonyroo]

I had a Golden lace Wyandotte do that, thought she was going crazy around feeding time. So I set 2 extra bowls away from each other and everyone was calm.

 

[3KillerBs]

As others have suggested, it's a good idea to have multiple food and water stations, especially during integration.

 

[Mrs. K]

Put a large piece of cardboard, or a piece of ply wood up, and set a feed bowl behind that so while a bird is eating there, cannot be seen by other birds eating at the another feed bowl.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Even when my chickens get along I have two feeding stations, especially when introducing birds. Did you have a see no-touch introduction period or just throw them all in with her?

 

[Oldegarlicshnapp]

Even when my chickens get along I have two feeding stations, especially when introducing birds. Did you have a see no-touch introduction period or just throw them all in with her?

Yep, they were in a coop and she would stand nearby them. The trouble was just with the larger breed wanting to assert herself. I’m gonna try making separate feeding areas, but she tends to seek out trouble :/

 

[rosemarythyme]

With 10 birds I have up to 5 feeders/bowls each morning, spread apart in the run and 1 inside the coop. There's still going to be some squabbling as birds run around looking for the "best" spot but it goes a long way in diffusing any food guarding or aggression.

 

[aart]

My oldest hen seems especially stressed out by the young flock I got to keep her company. One of them is a bit larger than her and used to take food away from her. Since then, she’s been attacking all of them whenever they eat. Rather than pecking their backs to instill a pecking order, she’s biting and pulling on them. Once she had a grip on their feathers and didn’t let go for a good distance.
The problem isn’t that they’re getting near her eating area, but she keeps everyone away from all the food. It also looks like she’s been over eating and the rest aren’t nearly as full.

What can I do?

How long have you had these new 'friends' for her(was she a single bird?)?
How old are the new birds(in weeks or months) and how did you integrate them?
How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would help immensely here.

Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[K0k0shka]

I just had my largest/oldest hen do this to the whole flock because of the new pullets, and she's been living peacefully with them for 9 months now! They were integrated as chicks and accepted by everyone. It's because the pullets are maturing and trying to move up the social order, shaking the establishment, and the establishment isn't happy about it. Like others have said, multiple feeding stations will help, as will having feed available all the time, so there isn't one specific "feeding time" for them to stress over. If there's food lots of places all the time, there's less reason for fighting, because food won't be seen as a scarce resource to fight over. Have feeders both inside the coop and out in the run, to add more distance and barriers between the chickens while they eat. I have a timid hen that likes to go inside and eat by herself while the others are eating at the outdoor feeder, because they tend to chase her away. So, give them options. Good luck! Hopefully they'll all settle down once the younger flock matures.