mean dominique??

[ozark hen]

I have twenty chicks, five of them Dominiques. One Dominque, Lucy, is a sweetheart and comes to me and lets me hold her. Another pullet, Roseanne, jumps up on my knee and proceeds to peck the heck out of me. I hold her and pet her and as soon as I put her down she is after me. I have tried snapping my teeth (not a pretty site I am sure. LOL) at her and act like I am going to bite her head off...now I have done this AFTER she showed no effort to quit attacking me..but it does no good. If I put her on the floor she proceeds to pinch my legs and then jumps up on me and starts pecking again. She even tries to chase me out of the coup as I am leaving. What is going on with her?? LOL I thought she might need more attention but that isn't working either. she might be a sweet bird if this agressive behavior ever stops.

They will be five weeks old this Thursday.

 

[justusnak]

Wow, 5 weeks old and agressive? Have you fed them by hand....and then stopped? Maybe she is trying to get treats? I dont know. Hmmmmm....hold her upside down, by her feet....just for a few seconds...let her know YOU are the boss! Hope she changes. Nothing worse than an agressive hen or roo.

 

[silkiechicken]

Is she trying to be aggressive or maybe she wants goodies and doesn't know how hard she bites...

 

[ozark hen]

Thanks, I really do need help here and I appreciate any and all advice. Well, I bring grass clippings in and put them on the floor, a large mound. I only tried to feed them by hand yesterday and she did peck at the food but then she pecks at everything. I just started the clippings, which they all love and devour in minutes. I have brought the dogs in one at a time to get them used to the chickens but this little one goes right after the dog and I am afraid the dog's eyes will get pecked! The dogs are at eye level. I will try the holding upside down advice in the morning.

 

[ozark hen]

thank you so much! I told my DH about my problem with my Dominque five week old chick. I told him I had acted like I was going to put her head in my mouth but that didn't work. Reaction from DH?

When he calmed down I told him about turning her upside down by her feet but I hadn't tried it. he came into the coup and sat down and couldn't believe how she came right at me pecking my shoes. He grabbed her and turned her upside down by her feet. He held her until she stopped squawking and hung very still then he turned her into the palm of his hand and started petting her. She is a changed chick!! That did the trick!! I am amazed. My DH laughed and said, I have never seen a chick that aggressive. All is well now. Thank you, thank you.

 

[lively Bee's]

This sounds mean but this trick was showed to me by my grandfather years ago.


If you flip them on the back of the head it makes the bird think it is under you in the pecking order some times it takes a time or to but it works the same as holding the bird up side down.

 

[ozark hen]

thanks, I have tried flipping it on the beak with my fingernail but that just seems like a challenge. The upside down trick seemed to work!! thanks I will be back if she starts acting stupid again.