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My neighbor told me to just let my hens 'figure out' their pecking order, and it went so wrong
Last fall, I had a new hen getting bullied badly in my run in Portland. My neighbor, who has kept birds for years, saw it and said, 'Stop babying them, they need to work it out themselves.' I listened and left them alone for two days. By the end, the new girl was missing feathers and hiding in a corner, terrified. I had to completely separate her for a week to let her heal. Has anyone else had a situation where the 'let them be' advice totally backfired?
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rileyl985mo ago
That advice works for mild squabbles, not serious bullying. I saw a hen in my own flock get a bloody comb because I waited too long. The pecking order is real, but sometimes you have to step in before it turns into real harm. Separating the bullied bird was the right call, it gives them a chance to recover and reset. Some groups just never settle down nicely on their own.
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emerycarr5mo ago
Honestly, how often does it really get that bad though?
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