A serious question about chickens...really, no jokes....?

Question

I have three Silkie hens that I got when they were just days old. They are clutch-mates and are now about 6 months old. Two stayed with me for the full 6 months and on went to live with our neighbour for about 2 months. She was returned to me about 5 weeks ago and since then I have tried everything to make just one of my hens accept her back. This one hen hunts the "new arrival" to the point where...to this day I have to keep them penned seperately. She gets along famously with the other.
They are let out to free range which works a little better because the "hunted one" has more room to run for her life but I would really like to make this threesome work in the same enclosure.
Does anyone have any wise advise or tricks I may not have tried yet?

Answer 1

There is a "pecking order" in birds and they will have to fight it out among themselves. Because the one bird was gone, the other will fight it, to be the dominate bird. Until pecking order is established, they will continue to fight.

Answer 2

Let them have their tussle. I had fifteen or twenty silkies too but only the rooster showed this sort of behavior. He would hunt down anything that wasn't supposed to be by the hens. this includes dogs, lawn mowers, horses, humans, and even raccoons....

They have to re-establish the pecking order. Obviously the hen that is fighting is the top of the order, and the other one is on the same level as the 'hunted one'. If they have their fight, they should be good. Another choice is to pen them side by side, like the only thing separating them is a strip of chicken wire.

Hopefully that helps. If not, you may have a rather aggressive hen. You can try getting a rooster and another hen or two to keep the aggressive in check.... Other than that, I dont see what you can really do. Good luck, though.

Answer 3

Try separating out the "Hunter" hen for a few weeks, take away her dominance over the territory, by the time she is reintroduced into the little the group, she will no longer hold the highest ranking position and peace should return to the hen house.

If this does not work, they might just have to fight it out, the dominate hen is just trying to show the other that she is the alpha hen. As long as no real harm is done to the outcast hen let them be, it is just part of nature.

Answer 4

she is the alpha hen she doesnt know the other chicken now so she wants to get the pecking order down with the new hen to show it whos boss.they should get alone once the pecking order is set with them i dont think they will get hurt some of my hens have drawed blood with each other but not anything worse and after a few days all was calm and the all knew who was boss.

Answer 5

Sometimes you can rearrange the pen. Add all new bedding, move some things around to different areas, change the location of food and water, and add some new "toys" or object to climb on. This will often help with adding new bird to an established pen. The two you kept are being territorial. If they don't recognize their environment it might help.

Answer 6

I had the same problem with my ducks. I separated them for a while and then reintroduced them and they are still fine. Once they have to re-learn who is boss you should have no more issues. Also when you separtae them all you have to do is put chicken wire between them, so they can still see and touch each other. They may fight through the wire, but no one can get hurt this way.

Answer 7

Sounds like you have a war chicken! I doubt you can ever take the violence out of the chicken's personality, go for physical remedies like the first answer, declaw or things like that.

Answer 8

use dim light and apply de-beaking and cut nails
did you try that