Biting hen?

Continue to convince her that you are dominant.  Such behavior can escalate to flogging and more vigorous attacks. 

I just started having the same problem with my 5 mo old australorp.  She is also the dominant hen.  She bit me when I reached down to pet another hen, and then bit me again shortly after on the foot.  Unfortunatey, I was wearing sandals and she bruised the skin pretty good.  What is a good way to show dominance?

I also recommend the tapping on the head idea. That is what we did with our one Hen. She got pretty mad at me for awhile but then I think she realized she is getting food from me so she better be nice. It took about a month before she calmed her attitude with us.

 

Hopefully that helps :)
 

I walk toward all my dominant birds until they turn around and get out of my way. This shows that they have to move out of my way and I am the flock alpha. If they come at me I will push them aside with my foot and won't leave the run until I have walked directly at the bird and they yield to me. It only takes a coupe time for the hens to get the idea. Roos can need a little more persuasion if they are young and having testosterone raging through their bodies.

  Carry a big stick!

 But seriously, I was always told to try to walk past my chickens, not towards them in a challenging way.  I have a little stag that loves to flog me.  Each time he does it, I scoop him up, hold him by his feet/legs, and tip him backwards until he starts flapping his wings trying to right himself.  I let him flap until he quits.  By then he's beat-tired and will even take a nap in my hand while I rub his neck when before he was trying to bite my hands, arms, and chest.

Good luck!

Continue bopping her on the head. Losing trust? So? You want her to peck the snot out of you or do you want her to respect you?

Using aggression can cause more aggression. I have a nasty hen too. I broke her of her nastiness by carrying her around for a few days, then towards the end, sitting her on my lap and petting her. She calmed down, but she does go back to her old ways. If I would of mimicked pecking her, she would draw more blood.

I do remember her full attacking me at that age. She can be as sweet as pie, but she has those nasty moments every 3-6 months and forgets she can be sweet. I just do my routine of carrying her and she will become sweet again. I do not allow my kids to pick her up though. She's drawn blood on me a few times. I love her eggs, so she stays and I will continue to work with her.

Great tips everyone, thanks! 

I have a little white Leghorn hen who can be quite nasty at times.  She will charge and bite, straight out of her coop in the morning.  I hold her often and she can be a sweetie too.  I always carry a small water bottle with me during feeding time or when I let the hens out.  If she charges or bites, I give her a quick spray in the face.  She backs off every time, and will usually calm down for at least a few days.  She is a feisty one!