[karthomp]

We have three chickens - two black rocks and a sussex hybrid.
All have got on well in the three weeks we have had them, until friday.  One of the black rocks turned on the sussex and has made a total mess of her vent.
We seperated them and have cleaned the injured hen up.  We left them seperate over the weekend and tried to re-introduce them yesterday.  No joy; the black rock went for her again.  The sad thing is the sussex wants to go back with her friends and is quite stressed being seperated.
I've ordered some anti pecking spray to try but will she ever be able to rejoin them?  Is it time or is there anything else i can do?
They have plenty of room, plenty of food and were all laying happily before the incident on friday so we're somewhat baffled.
Any advice gratefully received.

[doganjo]

Take the offending black rock out - that will reduce her status.  And if she does it again eat her    You can also threaten her with that - it works with mine.

Did you put them all in together from the start?  Or were some added later?  I always add newcomers at night so when they come out into the daylight they just think the new ones have always been there.  If you eventually put the BR back in do it at night after dark.  It may be that the hen being attacked has something wrong with her so keep an eye on here too.

[karthomp]

They all went in together and had been together at the breeders.
The sussex seems ok in herself other than the injuries delivered by the evil BR, as my first thought was she might be ill hence the others turning on her.
So punish the evil BR you think?

[Mel]

No better advice than that,agree take the black rock out and put her on her own as doganjo says it shall reduce her status.Question,the sussex hybrid is not going broody is she? I have a few going broody right now,I take them out and they run off down the field,but others rear up against them as are seen as being defensive.

[Fleecewife]

Can you put them so there is just a wire mesh fence separating them?  That way they will be together but not able to peck, and that will reduce any problem of putting them back together again.   If the pecked hen has any red showing from the attack, then both of the other hens will tend to peck at that - it's what they do, not that they are evil.  So keep them apart until she is well healed up then re-introduce them at night as Doganjo says, but keep a close eye on them.  Make sure they have plenty of other things to distract them, such as brassica plants hung for them to peck.
It could be that the Sussex had a small injury to her vent, perhaps after laying her egg, which would have started the Black Rock pecking at her, and the redder it got the more she would peck.
Someone has to be at the bottom of the pecking order and with only three hens it will be obvious who it is 

[chrismahon]

Are the Blackrocks in a run? They are a free ranging bird only and will get very stressed and bored in a run and that could be the problem. Situation won't resolve itself. Need to get the injured fully healed and then isolate the bully for at least 2 weekswhilst putting the healed hen back in with the remaining Blackrock. If they are both doing it she will have to be permanantly separated or they will need far more space. So it will be a three month process at best Karthomp.

[deepinthewoods]

this is an excellent excuse to get a few more chooks, thats should shake them up a bit, and then get a cockerel!!

[karthomp]

Interesting point about the BRs in a run.  Its a v big run but they are in one.  Well they were, not today.....

The injured bird seems to have taken matters into her own hands.  I got home late last night as the train had been delayed.  Two black rocks were in the house glaring at me.  No sign of the other one.  After 30 mins searching every nook and cranny i could think of in a garden thats well over 1/2 an acre (I was not searching 1.5 acres of paddock in the rain!!) i was about to give up thinking she'd been taken.  I opened the house once last time and there she was with the others.  She must have jumped up onto the roof of the house and managed to get into the run.  So this morning i've chucked all three of them out free range and hoped for the best.  If shes going to insist on going back to them then we'll see what happens..........

[chrismahon]

Well Karthomp. They hate being alone and the BR's are the only family she knows! She doesn't realise it is a path to self destruction. But perhaps the free ranging will de-stress the BR's and all will settle down. Have you sprayed her damaged area with Nettex anti-peck (the only one I've found that works a bit).

[karthomp]

We have got some anti pecking spray but interestingly they appear to be leaving her alone.  That has been no more blood drawn and whilst there is no doubt shes at the bottom of the pecking order they are not bullying her the way they were. 
I went to fetch them all in last night and all three had been pecking about together.  They calmly walked back to the run together and went to bed, so so far so good.
Chickens eh?