How To Stop Chicken Bullies

Nobody likes a bully-- and your chickens are no exception! "Chicken bullies" can cause some rifts in a flock; but, on the bright side, there are plenty of steps that chicken owners can take to minimize bullying and create a safe environment.

What is Chicken Bullying?

"Chicken bullying" is a pretty broad term. It might be easier to tell you what it's not.

• Chicken bullying is not just establishing the pecking order

Instead, you should think of chicken bullying as a more targeted (and problematic) behavior. It occurs when members of a flock systematically pick on one or a small group of hens. 

Some chicken bullying is relegated to feather plucking and other similar behaviors. This, obviously, is not ideal-- but it still beats more aggressive bullies. Some instances of chicken bullying escalate into fights that cause severe injuries (or even death).

The Pecking Order

Chicken bullying may seem like it's partly tied to a flock's pecking order.  In reality, this isn't true.

• Pecking orders are complex relationships within flocks 
  • Age, personality, and other factors influence a bird's position in the pecking order
• Hens who rise to the top of the pecking order often act assertive
  • This tends to be misinterpreted as bullying
• Bullying is a sustained behavior
  • It does not serve a purpose within the pecking order; it is only an effort to intimidate and harm​

We hear of chickens bullying for a variety of reasons. Just a handful include:

• Boredom
• Sickness
• Illness
• Brooding
  
• Etc.

How to Stop Bullying
Stopping Hens
If you notice an issue with bullying hens in your flock, there are several steps you can take to try to mitigate the behavior. Try out:

• Separating the flock 
  • This should be a last resort; sometimes the bullied hens cannot reintegrate well
• Giving them more activities 
  • Treats
  • Handfuls of scratch
  • Cabbage tetherballs
• Time outside in a spacious area

​

Stopping Roosters
In rare cases, roosters actually emerge as the bullies of a coop. If you notice your rooster acting a little too aggressive, try:

• Separating him from hens
• De-spurring

Stopping chicken bullies in their tracks isn't always difficult, but you might need to get a little creative! There are lots of fun and enriching ways to help your chickens chill out and keep the peace.