At wits end with biting chickens...

[kimspangrude]

That's something I could try once the weather warms up. I really like it as an option for Ginger. Thanks for the suggestion

I have used a squirt bottle with half water half vinegar on my aggressive rooster. I now have him eating out of my hand.

 

[Martha444]

Stop 'cuddling' them.


Stop hand feeding....or even giving treats all together.

I have Barred Rocks. I hand fed, hand treated, and handled/pet them all as much as possible since they were babies so that I didn't have to chase them down or deal with struggling birds when we needed to treat them. Almost all the hens will bite and hold onto the fleshy bits of my hands when I feed out of hand, rarely do they do real damage. I just figured it was their nature and just keep doing what I was doing and wait till they let go and act like it didn't bother me. Shoo them if they bite really hard. I think it impresses them...lol. The roosters are raised the same way but are allowed more leeway with human aggression if they are attending hens while ranging. I don't want a docile rooster watching my hens. If they are too aggressive we eat them. Some of our crankiest hens have been some of favorites. Maybe I'm a cranky lady and just get the vibe.

 

[puddle_drinker]

I have 3 six-month old chickens (Ginger - Golden Comet, Pepper & Mushroom - Black Australorps).

Ginger has always been a biter. Not in a mean way, but more exploratory/treat related. I've followed the advice on this forum, but can't seem to break her of it. She's behaved this way before and after laying eggs.

Pepper has had a slight aggression issue with rakes/poop scoops. Once in a while she'll get wound up and start posturing/attacking while I'm cleaning up. It mostly happens if I nudge her with the rake in an attempt to move her (as you know, they're constantly underfoot). I've also had issues where I've needed to work in their run, and Pepper will be RIGHT THERE trying to nip at me and whatever I'm doing. I'll gently nudge her away, and she starts posturing to fight. I peck her on the back/head, and while she initially runs away, she comes right back to continue the confrontation.

This all came to a head today. Ginger bit my leg, so I immediately started to correct her with back pecks. Pepper did not like that, and flew at me like a freaking rooster. Bit my hand and drew blood. I tried to pin her down, but she would NOT submit so I backed off rather than risk hurting her. I will add that she just started laying eggs 2 days ago.

I feel like total crap. Pepper is sweet 95% of the time, and even enjoys being pet on the belly. I don't know what else to do. Any advice, criticism, or "that happened to me too"s are appreciated.

I had a rooster that would instantly get aggressive and attack me if I wore a particular dark blue ball cap, any other hat or clothing no issues. He eventually went to the stew pot... Maybe it's an article of clothing that triggers this, certain boots perhaps? Or maybe wearing a standard set of clothing every time so they become familiar? One of the interesting things about chickens is there's frequently never one right answer to solve the same challenges across all flocks.

You may find "Temple Grandin's Guide to Working with Farm Animals" by Dr. Temple Grandin a source of inspiration. It's mainly focused on various types of livestock but in my experience a lot of the same approaches apply to poultry.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I had a rooster that would instantly get aggressive and attack me if I wore a particular dark blue ball cap, any other hat or clothing no issues. He eventually went to the stew pot... Maybe it's an article of clothing that triggers this, certain boots perhaps? Or maybe wearing a standard set of clothing every time so they become familiar? One of the interesting things about chickens is there's frequently never one right answer to solve the same challenges across all flocks.

You may find "Temple Grandin's Guide to Working with Farm Animals" by Dr. Temple Grandin a source of inspiration. It's mainly focused on various types of livestock but in my experience a lot of the same approaches apply to poultry.

I do have a "chicken outfit" that I wear every time I visit. Never considered that it could be triggering, but something to consider for sure. And very well said about the lack of universal solutions! I do A LOT of flailing around as a new chicken owner, trying to put out fires while inadvertently starting new ones.

I'll definitely check out the book, thank you!

 

[Nym]

Update: Pepper bit me on the arm today. Thankfully, I was wearing a winter coat. I carried her into the holding pen away from the other chickens and did a submissive hold with some head pecks thrown in for good measure. She did eventually submit.

Going to go forward with the @aart strategy: no "cuddles" and no treats. My user photo is becoming too close to my daily reality. We go in 3x/day to clean up, and that's often paired with a delicious offering (sprouts, fermented feed, or nighttime scratch). Now every visit is filled with ear-splitting chicken screams, lunging at our pockets, and the occasional chomp. Will report back in a week with an update on their behavior.

Lessons are being learned!

My Susie (Pekin) will squawk very loudly when food arrives so I now ignore her until she stops, then she gets the food. She has learnt very fast! So have I, since these are my first real backyard chickens since childhood. The four newest additions are larger and I've treated them much as I would the dogs - they don't get food until they stop leaping around trying to snatch it from me. I hold my ground with a small pool noodle and they all walk behind me to the pen like ducks! I'm going to keep this up until they're about a year old (next August).

My son's father-in-law raised chickens and says he's in no doubt that they would eat him if he collapsed in their yard.

I love the compressed air idea.

 

[thecatumbrella]

My son's father-in-law raised chickens and says he's in no doubt that they would eat him if he collapsed in their yard.

This is the side of chickens they don't show you on Instagram!

I love your technique. We had a dog for 8 years, and were very strict about her behavior. I don't know how I let things get so out of hand with the chickens. How long do you wait Susie out? I've been trying a similar strategy, but they'll carry on for 15+ minutes.

 

[Nym]

This is the side of chickens they don't show you on Instagram!

I love your technique. We had a dog for 8 years, and were very strict about her behavior. I don't know how I let things get so out of hand with the chickens. How long do you wait Susie out? I've been trying a similar strategy, but they'll carry on for 15+ minutes.

Once I decided to take action it has taken a few weeks to get her under this level of control.. Now it only takes a few seconds of me ignoring her - while feeding the others, to mark the exact moment she stops with a handful of bread bits. This morning she waited for some bread, ate it then started her racket for more. I turn away from her and feed the others until she stops. I count a few seconds longer each day before throwing the bread to her. Her noisiness started after I rehomed the two chicks she was doting on in the aunty role, but that was some months ago now so time for her to get over it as I couldn't deal with her racket any longer. I tried spray bottle, leaving her in the coop, overfeeding her, all to no avail. I hope you find a solution. I can imagine how frustrated you must be!

 

[Folly's place]

Temple Grandin's book is terrific!
Mary

 

[Nym]

Temple Grandin's book is terrific!
Mary

Thank you for this info. I haven't heard of her but am now listening to one of her TED talks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you for this info. I haven't heard of her but am now listening to one of her TED talks.

I've read some of her books. She's the reason I now spell it AWEtistic.