Bullying

[icornish]

We got a new hen to add to our established brood of 5.
After the first 2-3 days, she seemed settled in and the others appeared to have accepted her.

Now, after 6 days, 4 of them are bullying her, and hen pecking a little, not quite enough to draw serious blood, but enough to keep her distressed. The top honcho is currently broody, and sitting on her eggs, and keeps out of it all.

Any suggestions to stop the 4 bullies from bullying our poor little Paxo (yes, that's her name)

Ian

[Hilary B]

Could it be that the absence of the 'top hen' is why the others are bullying the new one? Maybe the rest have only just stopped being 'underhens' and are therefore taking it out on the 'soft target', ie the new girl in the run.
Just make sure the food is so available that she can eat in spite of them (likewise water), and watch for actual injury. Stress is the usual fate of the lowest hen in the pecking order, and a newcomer will usually be lowest, at least for a while.