Strange behaviour

[chickenfan]

When I visited my field birds yesterday I was horrified to find the cockerel on top of one of my copper black Marans hens and all the other copper black hens attacking it. She was in an awful state, barely able to stand. I notice she has lost weight, so perhaps she is ill, but this seems very strange behaviour. When the cockerel mounted other hens, the other attacked the crouching hen in the same way. I've removed the cockerel and separated the weak bird, but not sure what has brought about this change in an established group or whether they have all got muddled?

 

[chickenfan]

It seems the hen that was so badly attacked has an impacted crop. Can't understand why all the other hens would go so violently for a hen crouching under the cockerel.

 

[chrismahon]

We've seen this Chickenfan. It happened when an inexperienced cockerel hasn't taken full leadership of a flock and it becomes divided, the other hens get the opportunity to attack the rival flock weakest. The crop impaction is co-incidental.

You need to remove the cockerel and let the flock re-establish. Then take the hens in reverse pecking order one at a time to the cockerel, which in practice means taking them all out and putting him in on his own.

We found when introducing Merlin, a 6 month old Wyandotte cockerel, that even when the above was followed some 6 year old hens didn't submit. Reasoning that they were not fully respectful of his position we discretely fed him treats when he was on his own. He then called the hens over to them and he gained their respect as a food provider and subsequently submitted to his advances.

 

[chickenfan]

Thanks very much for your reply Chris. The poor hen is in a terrible state and on her last legs. I took her to the BHWT vet and she has treated her mildly impacted crop but says when a bird is bullied they often lose their spirit and die even when nothing too much is wrong. It seemed quite a unified group until Sunday and I thought they respected the cockerel but he was a large bantam. I have had other Marans that will peck at a hen that is being mated. I have to say this group is not my best-natured and I wasn't planning to breed with them.

I did immediately remove the cockerel. He seemed a bit too aggressive anyway now they have started laying.