[doganjo]

I have two bantam Wyandottes and two standards.  In the last few months one of the bantams has been broody off an on - I move her out of the coop when I realise she's not outside but can't keep her out as the others need access to lay.

In the last couple of days one of the standards has started having a go at one of the bantams - no idea if it's the same one as they are identical.  It's driving my dogs mental - they stand there and howl at them, or run up and down along the fence barking.

If I turn the hose on the hens, the standard goes away and eats but it's almost like she's trying to stop the other one eating so I've been spreading the food around, although I don't like doing that for encouraging wild birds and vermin.  She hasn't drawn blood and isn't pecking hard enough for that - it's more wing fluttering and posturing with a wee bit of a peck at each other

Any thoughts on what might be causing it?  It's been pretty warm here last few days - is it just that?  They all seem very healthy, no lumps and bumps, all eating and drinking normally, recently wormed etc etc

I've kept hens for about 25 years, but this is a bit strange

[doganjo]

it just escalated - blood on her comb and an eye partially shut.  Bathed with cool boiled water and savlon applied to the worst bits. Gave her food and water and left her in the inside run.  So if any of the others lay in the outside run I'll just have to get there before the crows do.  Then when dusk comes they'll all be inside their coop.
Nothing else I can do for now

[chrismahon]

Perhaps she's going broody and warning the others to stay away?

[doganjo]

She's only going for the wee bantam.  And it doesn't look like the bantam has done any damage to her.

[doganjo]

I wondered about that. She's not bullying the others though, would that still work?  At the moment they all right next to each other separated by a weldmesh panel.  They'll all have to sleep together though. I don't have anything small enough to fit in the coop door to put the bully in.
It's a two storey rabbit hutch so I could put her on the top level and take the step ladder away, but I suspect she'd just jump down

[vegpatch]

Is the bird being bullied broody at the moment, or has recently been broody?  We notice that a broody bird is often targetted by one or two of our hens who are quite far down the pecking order - and they will do this when the broody is normally dominant to them. 

[doganjo]

I don't know is the short answer - one of the bantams has been broody but they are identical so I don't know which one it was.  It's one of the big standard Wyandottes that's bullying a bantam.

They've been wandering around on either side of the fence all day without a cross word, so we'll see what night time brings.  Nothing I can do when they are all in the coop

[Richmond]

There may be an underlying illness/weakness in the bantam not yet detected by you - birds need to be quite ill before humans notice something amiss. The dominant hen is driving her away to protect the integrity of the flock.
You say the bantam has been broody "on and off". Properly broody or just staying in the nest box a lot? 

[doganjo]

I've switched them round today.  The two bantams are in the outer run and the bully in the inner one.  I have no idea which bantam was broody. They really are identical.  All birds are active, eating, drinking, poking around.  No sign of an illness.  They are all about 1 year old.
 
ace reins.

[doganjo]

Touching wood and fingers crossed, but it is still peaceful today, and all are together.  All of them seem to be giving the bantam a wide berth so maybe she was the instigator - I think she's the only one that's laying just now becasue when the big hen was in the main run and she was out with the other two there was one egg in a corner of the outside run. and when she was in the main run by herself there was one egg too.