Why are my chickens so MEAN!?

My chickens are anywhere from 2 months old to 3 months old i believe and some of them can be so mean at times, like just a few minutes ago i was sitting out in my yard watching them and one went up to another chicken and pecked him on the back and the one that got pecked tried to take it out on another chicken by trying to peck him, and just yesterday one chicken put their foot right in the middle of another chickens back and turned its body in a way to where it looked like he was trying to dig its foot in the other ones back on purpose to hurt it, plus their always running into eachother like their trying to pick a fight and they will bump chests and then peck eachother sometimes, they act as if they really cant stand eachother, plus they try and peck humans too. My son and daughter gets pecked once in a while and my son had a chicken peck him on the face then again by the eye on another day and when we try to gather them up in the evening, they try and peck us sometimes, what can i do for their meaness, i feel so bad when i see a chicken bullying another chicken, i feel sorry for that chicken b/c these pecks arent light, their pretty harsh looking pecks. Plus as far as we know their all hens, there actually is one im wondering if its a rooster, but still even the hens can be mean.

They are setting up their pecking order. Keep them away from your face, you don't want your eyes hurt.

Whats their pecking order? Sorry, im new to raising chickens.

Establishing their pecking order means who is going to be “boss”. They will establish the order of superiority all the way down to the lowest chicken on the “totem pole”.

I agree with the poster above,

They are working out who will be the boss.

Don't worry about them too much yet. If you find they are picking on one hen in particular then ask again for advice and try to protect her.

They always sort out their order, and you should be the top of the pile. If you are in with them and they behave like this then remove one of them, probably best to do it to the aggressor and carry her around for a while and then put her down, This will let her know that you are the boss. Do the same with roosters that get a bit uppity too.

Thank you all so much helping me understand, im actually kind of scared to even pick them up latley lol One pecked me just yesterday and that hurt lol

Don't be afraid of them.

It can hurt a little sometimes but usually they are not that bad when they peck. But the more you are around them and handle them the better they are really. Sometimes they do get a little enthusiastic.

I hope they settle down soon, and if they are troublesome just walk up behind them and hold them with their wings tight into their sides and they can't usually reach you to peck, they do get used to being handled after a while.

Thank you Jena Im hoping they calm soon, they act like as if the hens get some major mood swings...when their not hurting eachother though, me and the kids just love watching them, especially when one found a worm and they have a little game of keep away