Chickens are easily stressed and moving to a new home is one of the most stressful events a chicken can experience. Stress can have negative behavioral and physical manifestations in chickens, including, pecking, picking and bullying. When chickens of any age bully other chickens, the behavior must be interrupted, the cause determined, and the bully, reformed. This is how I reformed a brooder bully, but the technique works with chickens of all ages. There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one’s place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated, aggressive behavior causing injury is not normal, nor acceptable. If feathers are being picked or blood is being drawn, the behavior must be stopped. Any time a chicken is injured, they must be physically separated from the other birds for their own protection until the wound is 100% healed. Failure to do so can result in cannibalism and death.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.

Not long after bringing home three adorable, 6 week old bantam Cochins with frizzled feathers, the red chick, Rachel, began mercilessly pecking the other two chicks.  Poor Phoebe (the white chick) took the brunt of Rachel’s aggression and was often found cowering underneath Monica. I needed to find a solution to end to the pecking. The breeder from whom we purchased the chicks assured me that Rachel had not been a problem before the move, so it was fair to deduce that stress from moving was the cause of the bullying.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.
The Cochin friends, a few weeks after the peace summit.

Reforming the Bully
I physically segregated Rachel from the others chicks, while keeping her close to her brooder-mates. Everyone was still able to see and hear each other without danger of further injury. The chicks were in a simple, cardboard box brooder, which was ideally suited to making a chick condo. I connected a second large cardboard box to the first with duct tape. I then cut out a window in between the two boxes and secured window screening to the openings with a stapler. Hardware cloth could be used instead of window screening between the two boxes. To prevent the chicks from hopping out of or flying out of the brooder, I also secured window screening to the top of the brooder.

Rachel clearly wanted to get back to her brooder buddies, but it was necessary. In 4-5 days, the trio was physically reunited without further incident. They have been inseparable ever since. If the separation is not successful in the first few days, a few more days in quasi-segregation should do the trick.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.

Kathy Shea Mormino

Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on

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Chickens are easily stressed and moving to a new home is one of the most stressful events a chicken can experience. Stress can have negative behavioral and physical manifestations in chickens, including, pecking, picking and bullying. When chickens of any age bully other chickens, the behavior must be interrupted, the cause determined, and the bully, reformed. This is how I reformed a brooder bully, but the technique works with chickens of all ages. There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one’s place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated, aggressive behavior causing injury is not normal, nor acceptable. If feathers are being picked or blood is being drawn, the behavior must be stopped. Any time a chicken is injured, they must be physically separated from the other birds for their own protection until the wound is 100% healed. Failure to do so can result in cannibalism and death.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.

Not long after bringing home three adorable, 6 week old bantam Cochins with frizzled feathers, the red chick, Rachel, began mercilessly pecking the other two chicks.  Poor Phoebe (the white chick) took the brunt of Rachel’s aggression and was often found cowering underneath Monica. I needed to find a solution to end to the pecking. The breeder from whom we purchased the chicks assured me that Rachel had not been a problem before the move, so it was fair to deduce that stress from moving was the cause of the bullying.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.
The Cochin friends, a few weeks after the peace summit.

Reforming the Bully
I physically segregated Rachel from the others chicks, while keeping her close to her brooder-mates. Everyone was still able to see and hear each other without danger of further injury. The chicks were in a simple, cardboard box brooder, which was ideally suited to making a chick condo. I connected a second large cardboard box to the first with duct tape. I then cut out a window in between the two boxes and secured window screening to the openings with a stapler. Hardware cloth could be used instead of window screening between the two boxes. To prevent the chicks from hopping out of or flying out of the brooder, I also secured window screening to the top of the brooder.

Rachel clearly wanted to get back to her brooder buddies, but it was necessary. In 4-5 days, the trio was physically reunited without further incident. They have been inseparable ever since. If the separation is not successful in the first few days, a few more days in quasi-segregation should do the trick.

There is a difference between establishing or maintaining one's place in the pecking order and true bullying. Enforcement of the social hierarchy with the occasional peck or nudge is to be expected, but repeated aggressive behavior causing injury is not.
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Liz
Liz
10 years ago

Where do you order these chicks from

R.R. Starr
R.R. Starr
10 years ago

Just as I think I have it sorted out, they come up with something new to scare me silly. *sigh*

R.R. Starr
R.R. Starr
10 years ago

My Silver Lace Wyandotte seems to be behaving herself for now. Her constant pecking hadn't gotten to the point where it was drawing blood, but the others were starting to have bedraggled tail feathers. When she jumped full on the back of another chicken with all her claws out, I knew it was finally time to move her to a separate pen for a few days. They were in eyesight/earshot of each other, and when I let the the other three loose they would come hang out next her in jail. Unfortunately, the new pen doesn't have the same weather… Read more »

Liz
Liz
10 years ago

I know that is not the one and only daily Rachel, lol. Funny thing I only wanted hens and the sweetest chick ended up being a rooster and really aggressive. Had to give him to someone to keep neighbors happy and to stop from bleeding everyday. But it was still a sad day.

Cheryl Lindsay
Cheryl Lindsay
10 years ago

Great advice!! Wish I could have one of every color! Too many breeds, so few allowed in the city!!
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