13 week old pullet puffing up

[CluckerFamily]

She could still be unsure.
Is she at the top of the pecking order?

 

[cluckingheck]

She could still be unsure.
Is she at the top of the pecking order?

they are in with 25 week old chickens, so they stick in their own little group of other leghorn pullets ( 3 others; same age ) for the most part. She’s definitely not at the top within the entire flock, but I’m not sure about among the little subgroup. I think she is, though.

 

[Folly's place]

I also wonder if it's a late developing cockerel. Hope not! Any pointy hackle feathers?
If it's fear, treats are fine. If aggression, giving a treat for acting aggressive towards you is NOT fine! How about just scattering treats on the ground while you call them? Much more neutral, and still friendly on your part.
I think that hand feeding could lead to hand pecking, not best.
Mary

 

[cluckingheck]

I also wonder if it's a late developing cockerel. Hope not! Any pointy hackle feathers?
If it's fear, treats are fine. If aggression, giving a treat for acting aggressive towards you is NOT fine! How about just scattering treats on the ground while you call them? Much more neutral, and still friendly on your part.
I think that hand feeding could lead to hand pecking, not best.
Mary

I really hope not. the cockerels i did have were already crowing by this time, so hopefully that’s a good sign. I’d be mad if mimzy turns to be a boy, because i paid specifically for pullets. anyways, I’ll have to get ahold of her to look at her hackle feathers. I’m at work now, so I’ll keep you posted

 

[cluckingheck]

I also wonder if it's a late developing cockerel. Hope not! Any pointy hackle feathers?
If it's fear, treats are fine. If aggression, giving a treat for acting aggressive towards you is NOT fine! How about just scattering treats on the ground while you call them? Much more neutral, and still friendly on your part.
I think that hand feeding could lead to hand pecking, not best.
Mary

i was able to get ahold of mimzy, so i took a picture of her hackle feathers. to me, they don’t look pointed but I’m also not a chicken expert. hopefully im right and she’s, well, a she. as for behavior, i hope it’s mostly her being scared or a little testy. either way, i’ll definitely try to break her of those habits

 

[cluckingheck]

Even if it is a she, they can get 'pecky'.
Peck her back, do not allow any bird to peck at your hands aggressively.

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

I think mimzy is a she, it didn’t look like her hackle feathers are pointed.

as for dealing with her behavior/attitude, ive seen varying opinions on the technique you suggested. do you think it’s the best way to nip this in the bud? it won’t make her mean or more aggressive? or do you really think it’s her being aggressive or more because she’s doing it out of fear?

 

[cluckingheck]

It worked for me....It think it's kind of a feed aggression from hand feeding rather than fear.

that was only the 3rd time i tried feeding her by hand and none of the others were around when she did it. the first time she was fine and didn’t puff up; the other 3 were with her that time. idk, it really caught me off guard when she did it. the others don’t do it and the big chickens never did it either.

 

[pibb]

I'm with @aart I think that may be a cockerel too. Too young to have wattles and a comb like that.

 

[pibb]

They do appear to be kinda pointy.

 

[aart]

They do appear to be kinda pointy.

Nah. Would be way pointier on a cockerel.