Separate the bullies from the general flock for at least three days. While the dominant birds are away, something interesting will happen. The remaining birds will reset the pecking order. They will choose a new leader, often a bird that was near the bottom of the old order.
In order to stop them from eating each other, be sure to feed them healthy meals. A hungry and undernourished chicken can't be blamed for munching anything in sight. Make sure to always feed chicken protein along with grains to keep down cannibalistic tendencies.
However a full on pecking order attack can be violent and cause serious injuries including death. As the keeper, you should intervene if blood has been drawn. You need to remove the injured bird quickly and isolate her until she fully recovers. The pecking order is a flexible structure.
Give Everyone Their Space
In addition to adequate run space, it's also a good idea to create areas where a chicken who is being picked on can get away. Things like outdoor perches, logs or benches, swings or even ladders or chairs that the flock can hide under to get away from a bully are all good ideas.
If a bird tries to go out of turn, she will earn glares, pecks and feather pulling from higher ranked hens. Establishing a pecking order can take anywhere from two days or up to two weeks. Once everyone knows their position, the stress will go down and disputes will be settled very quickly.
Pecking order behavior is considered minimally aggressive and short-lived. It should be noted that once the hierarchy is established aggressive pecking should stop. If the behavior does not stop after the chicken has climbed the ranks and is seemingly targeting a particular chicken, then it is chicken bullying.
Additionally, you can put vaseline on any open wounds that continue to be pecked. This will seal the wound from potential bacterial exposure while discouraging other birds from continuing to peck that spot.
A chicken's rank may be based on the size, color, age or personality of the individual, while a newly integrated chicken is often lower in the pecking order than those on home ground. Serious pecking is often a sign of high stress, boredom, sickness or overcrowding.
Boredom is a common culprit of spats between hens. In the long Winter months, lack of free-range access, lack of fresh grass, and tight quarters in the coop can lead to naughty behavior. Trauma also is a cause of fighting among your hens. The stress of losing members of the flock leads to more aggression.
Be sure there is plenty of space to prevent overcrowding. One way to help both groups acclimate to each other is to place the two groups in side-by-side runs. Placing the two groups next to one another for one week can help the birds form bonds before being housed together.
It can take quite a long time – up to 3 weeks for new chickens to get to like each other. Be patient. There will be pecking orders established so some pecking is okay. Just watch to make sure they aren't fighting for more than 20-30 seconds, drawing blood.
Hens are social animals and like to be part of a flock. Within just a few days of meeting each other, they will form a pecking order that is ranked in terms of dominance and it's perfectly normal to have lower ranking hens that might get bossed about a bit by those at the top.
Chickens will establish their pecking order by charging at one another and literally bumping into their opponent in an attempt to put it in its place. Chooks also tend to peck, chase and create a bit of a scene on the roost to establish and keep the position as top chicken.
Tetherball Toys: Chickens love to peck, and if what they are pecking moves, so much the better. Hang an edible treat from a chain or rope into the coop, and let them peck at the makeshift tetherball, chasing it around as it moves. A head of lettuce or cabbage, several apples, or melon rinds are all great options.
The arguments will continue for around 10 weeks in a female-only flock; expect it to last a few weeks longer if you are raising a group of males. The pecking order is an instinct, mostly related to feed but also water, nest boxes, perches and dust baths.
It may sound mean, but an established pecking order keeps the peace until a new chicken joins the flock or it's time for an older bird to give up her status. Unless injuries are severe, don't intervene in this natural process.
Overcrowding. Overcrowding can precipitate feather pecking and cannibalism. It is important to provide adequate space for each member of the flock to eat and drink. Failure to do so can encourage competition that may lead to cannibalism and cause more-dominant birds to keep others away from feed and water.
Whisk several drops of blue coloring and and several drops of lemon essential oil into a bowl of honey. Store the solution in a glass mason jar, squirt bottle or dispenser. You can dab the solution onto wounds or areas missing feathers with a cotton ball or squirt the solution over a larger area.
If one of the low ranked chickens tries to feed before their leaders, they may get a nasty jab or peck to teach them a lesson. If a bird tries to go out of turn, she will earn glares, pecks and feather pulling from higher ranked hens. Establishing a pecking order can take anywhere from two days or up to two weeks.
Vaseline has proven to prevent frostbite in chickens by providing a moisture-free barrier between the skin and cold air.
Chickens are prey animals and rather nosy. So, if they sense that a chick in their flock isn't feeling well, they'll peck at it or bully it, and could make their condition worse. That's why chickens will often hide their symptoms as best they can.
A chicken is naturally inclined to forage for food by scratching and pecking at the ground. When too many chickens occupy too small a space, pecking opportunities are limited and chickens get on each other's nerves. Aggression can result from overcrowding which leads to feather picking and cannibalism.