Need relationship advice

[Jajika]

Hi all:

I have seven hens, different breeds except for two which are Wheaton Araucanas. They are a bit over two years old.

They hang together with a Silver Laced Wyandotte. The three have been buddies until just the past two days it appears.

When I went to give them food, treats and fresh water today I noticed that one of the Wheaton has what looks like blood on the top of her head, then confirmed it as the other one was chasing and pecking at her relentlessly. What the heck?

It's is not as though they are crowded. Quite the opposite: they live in a very large "yard" that is 75' wide 25' deep x 15' high. It has trees, bushes and a large coop within. Have no idea how this started, but obviously a problem. I do have an isolation cage, but I'm not sure who should go in it for a few days? Any advice is very, very welcome. Thanks

 

[Welshies]

Put the culprit in the cage.
Do they have roosts? What do you feed? How many roosters?

 

[JaeG]

Cage the bully - it will make her lose her place in the pecking order. Make sure you have multiple feeding stations so that the dominant one cannot keep the others from eating. Check your bullied hen over to make sure she isn't sick as often chickens will attempt to drive out a member of the flock that is sick to prevent the disease spreading, but for just one to be targeting her it probably isn't that. Keep an eye on your wounded girl to make sure the others aren't picking at her head simply because it's different. Hopefully someone else has some wisdom to share.

 

[Jajika]

Thank you all. Meant to say I have three feeding stations and treats are spread out all over. The threesome sleep inside the coop, each in a different stop or nests. The other four sleep on top of the coop. As I mentioned the coop is inside the yard which is covered completely in hardware cloth, so it is very safe from predators.

Cage the bully - it will make her lose her place in the pecking order. Make sure you have multiple feeding stations so that the dominant one cannot keep the others from eating. Check your bullied hen over to make sure she isn't sick as often chickens will attempt to drive out a member of the flock that is sick to prevent the disease spreading, but for just one to be targeting her it probably isn't that. Keep an eye on your wounded girl to make sure the others aren't picking at her head simply because it's different. Hopefully someone else has some wisdom to share.

Thank you so much

 

[Jajika]

Put the culprit in the cage.
Do they have roosts? What do you feed? How many roosters?

Thanks you

 

[Jajika]

Thanks you

Forgot to mention, no roosters.