Bully chickens

[Bradsmum]

I have kept chickens for a number of years and have regularly rehomed farm hens. A few months ago I lost my last hen and rehomed 3 from Fresh Start for Hens. None of them get on with one another and I've never had this before. No 1 hen is a total bully and picks on No 2 & No 3, No 2 picks on No 3. I had to remove No 3 because they drew blood and didn't give her a moments peace so she recuperated in an old unused dog kennel in one of the outbuildings. She's now fully recovered and has grown back her feathers. The chickens have a wooden hen house and 9 ft run within a larger fenced area. So I reintroduced No 3 by letting Nos 1 & 2 out in the larger area and put No 3 in the inner run. Nos 1 & 2 are having none of it and pace up and down the fence line for much of the day. There is plenty of food and good ground for scratching. Meanwhile No 1 has now plucked much of No 2's chest feathers. Will these chickens ever get on. I am having to remove No 3 at night as they can't all go in the henhouse or poor No3 will end up bald or worse. Any ideas of ways to reintroduce them all together gratefully received. Who knew chickens could be so complicated.

 

[Bradsmum]

I should add that I have tried just putting them all together again but they jump on and attack No 3.

 

[Clodagh]

Remove the top bully, put her somewhere else. Then if it continues second bully and so on until harmony is reached. Put them back in gradually.
Feather pecking is because new feathers are rich in blood and chickens like blood. You either need to keep them apart until they are fully feathered or cover them in purple spray. You can get anti peck spray as well.

 

[Clodagh]

And the trouble with ex batts is they have missed out on vital social skills. .
Spring is a bad time to put hens together as well as they are hormonal.
Good luck!

 

[Bradsmum]

Thanks Clodagh, I fear they all need separate enclosures which just isn't the greatest but perhaps if they each spend time alone they might actually want some company before too long. I've always had ex-battery/cage or farm birds and never had this trouble.

 

[Clodagh]

Good luck! I wonder if there is an underlying problem with number 3?

 

[Bradsmum]

Yes I wondered that too. A bit sad really. She seems OK in that she's feeding, started laying again and looks healthy - obviously her face just doesn't fit. No 2 now has sudocrem plastered down her chest so I'll see if that dissuades No 1 so that at least two of them can continue to live together.

 

[Bradsmum]

Yay, all three chickens are now living together without attacking each other . There's the occasional sign of a bit of feather plucking but nothing extreme. Phew, makes life easier!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Didn't expect to read such a positive update, how nice!