5 day old chick attacking?

[Crippledturkey]

I hatched 8 chicks, and all are quite friendly, however one whenever I go to change the water or food, one pecks at my finger and kicks up at me like it is a much larger chicken. I pick it up and let it stand on my palm and tell it what bad baby it is and it goes for the whiskers of my beard, then settles and kinda nuzzles under my chin and its chirps become less vocal and the other chicks in the brooder settle down. Is this normal? Or may it become a dominant rooster? All other chicks are calm until this one acts up and they calm when it calms. Still they are awesome babies. Thank you for your knowledge on this matter.

 

[wbruder17]

What breed are they? I had a little D'Uccle roo that did the same thing. And I knew he was a roo from, like, week 1, which is not typical. I named him Feisty and he has lived up to his name. He has never been very friendly, but, as he is a little guy, he knows I am "Top Rooster". He bit me once and drew blood. I turned him over on his back and he now knows his place. He will not attack me, but will crow when I enter the pen, and will peck at me if I don't go about it right.

 

[Crippledturkey]

they are barnyard chickens, fathers may be RIR, EE, Marans, Mothers may be RIR, EE, or Black and gold sex links. THis chick is blonde colored with two black stripes.

 

[wbruder17]

Can't really give too much insight without pics...but sounds like lil roo behavior. Or dominant female, but doubts on that.

 

[Fierlin1182]

I've only ever had hens, and there are a couple who play up. It's usually the ones with the sharpest beaks who like to peck most too

I'd say you probably have a roo on your hands too.

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
Heshe is for sure at the top of the pecking order. The head hen or top roo will sound off and everyone listens to his startle or trumpet. The lead bird is the lead for 1 reason safety. He/she is letting everyone in the flock know danger is about when you come close it is warning the flock 1 reason you may be a threat. It maybe just simple to get small close to the ground and be small. Voice is not the same in normal life but like you talk to babies here baby come here babies in a hush voice like you do not want to disturb or wake them all up. Come in offering peace gifts of string cheese or a little as a piece of spaghetti. A plate of rice, yogurt a melon rind. but really a peace offering. I sit down and get low with some of the treats they like and they don't get it until they are within a specific range and weekly you make the circle or range closer even for the lead hen/roo. The other thing is if the little brat will not stop pecking you can with your index finger peck him back, not in a hurtful way but show him your peck can do the same or worse than his/hers. If it continues you have other options such as segregation and humiliate him/her by putting it under your arm and carry it around in front of the entire flock all morning for a few days and show it who is the boss and embarrass it and after a number of days it will have to establish its head bird all over again to be top bird once again bc another will push its way to the top while it is gone and become senior. You may have to go to extreme and humble it altogether and face mask it to protect the other birds and you and as long as the no peck mask is on it cant possibly hold the top spot. May have to put it in jail locked up in a smaller cage for a week or so or until it begins to surrender.

The easy approach is to put you two together in a closed cage without all the other birds where it cant get away sit down and feed it and love it and pet it and come to a meeting of the minds. I may find your beard alarming and its over when its gone. If you have worn a beard like some folks your whole life and its not a choice to shave then to bad for the bird and its going to have to get past it. Good luck do not give up you can figure it out but it will take effort and just time. Chickens are smart and they will get it.