6 month old leghorn pullet violently attacking me worse than rooster

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Post in thread 'I have an androgynous chicken' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/i-have-an-androgynous-chicken.1504007/post-26254503

Thank you!

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Thanks! I was wearing new sunglasses and shorts. (She’s never seen me in shorts before because it’s been so cold until yesterday.) and I usually have a “happy hour” with them where I sit on the ground with them and give them all treats. She used to be my favorite and would never peck at me or anything except when I had treats she would peck at my clothes. Now she slowly walks towards me and pretends to be “scratching” at stuff similar to roosters before they fight, and then lunges at me periodically. Like flogs me, similar to broody behavior. She is 100% an “eye” chicken and has been since she was only a few days old but she would never flog me like this. It would only happen if she perched on my shoulder, like yours. It’s really odd because her behavior fluctuates a lot. So she goes from psychotic broody behavior/raging teenage cockerel, to the classic “hi pet me and give me treats!”

The sunglasses and shorts could be it. She might be seeing the differences as danger and is trying to get rid of it. Try going back in with how you usually look and see how she acts. Also, don't show any signs of fear.

With her sudden changes of behavior like you said, I have a hen the same way (without the aggression.) She'll be majorly broody in the nesting box, I'll force her out, and the first thing she'll do is go mount another hen like a rooster. It's her hormones so badly messed up. (She's the one that went broody at your hen's age.) She just turned a year old and is in broody jail for the third time. I'm going to try getting her a rooster to see if that stops her mounting behavior (though it'll probably cause her brooding behavior to get worst.)

 

[Purelychicks]

The sunglasses and shorts could be it. She might be seeing the differences as danger and is trying to get rid of it. Try going back in with how you usually look and see how she acts. Also, don't show any signs of fear.

With her sudden changes of behavior like you said, I have a hen the same way (without the aggression.) She'll be majorly broody in the nesting box, I'll force her out, and the first thing she'll do is go mount another hen like a rooster. It's her hormones so badly messed up. (She's the one that went broody at your hen's age.) She just turned a year old and is in broody jail for the third time. I'm going to try getting her a rooster to see if that stops her mounting behavior (though it'll probably cause her brooding behavior to get worst.)

I put on my usual pair of sunglasses (but it’s too hot to change back into sweatpants so I kept my shorts on.) and she just kinda pecks at my legs but hasn’t flogged me anymore - yet.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I put on my usual pair of sunglasses (but it’s too hot to change back into sweatpants so I kept my shorts on.) and she just kinda pecks at my legs but hasn’t flogged me anymore - yet.

Maybe she's starting to get used to the strangeness. Offer her some of her favorite treats. If you want to (may, may not be a good idea), put some on your legs so she can see that they're safe.

 

[SourRoses]

The sunglasses and shorts could be it. She might be seeing the differences as danger and is trying to get rid of it.

No.

Aggressive chickens are not scared of your clothes.
Aggressive chickens are not suffering hurt feelings that you forgot to do a square dance when you entered their visual field.
Aggressive chickens are not jealous that you get to talk to your friends on your cellphone and they don't.

Neither is a dog who rips a persons face off just having a bad day because they got a burr in their paw.

There's trying to understand animals and then there's unhealthy enabling thought patterns. The latter will cause you problems no matter what animal you're dealing with, including humans.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Aggressive chickens are not scared of your clothes.

Correction, with my previous flock called the Church Birds, I always wore the same shoes. One day, I wore a completely different pair of shoes because I was in a hurry. My friendly hens immediately did a warning cluck when they saw the different shoes and would come nowhere near me. As soon as I put on the shoes I always wore, they were back to normal and fine. In my post here, I asked the OP if they were wearing anything new because a different BYC member had an experience where their flock attacked them because they saw the person's new socks. (That person might have only been wearing socks when they usually wore shoes if I recall correctly.)

When I asked the OP about wearing something different, she said yes and the difference was different sunglasses and shorts instead of pants. I responded with my perspective of what was wrong because of mine and other people's experiences. Please don't mock me over this. I never said anything about chickens having hurt feelings or anything else to do with their feelings. I was basically going off of facts. I'm not trying to enable unhealthy thought patterns either.

 

[BurbCoop]

Also, idk if it matters but “she” is bigger than all her siblings that hatched the same day as her. She’s also only layed 1 egg. And for everyone concerned about me losing an eye, I wear sunglasses. Oh also, her comb fluctuates from white to BRIGHT bright red. And I mean within seconds it fluctuates. Is that normal?

Funny you mention the comb changing like that. Our head hen (7 year old Buff Orp) took on the role of rooster in the flock for a few years, she would even try to crow on occasion. During that time, her comb would fluctuate from pale to bright red and back right in front of our eyes, just as you said, in seconds. It was like watching a Chameleon change color.

Up until that point, she was a consistent layer. When she went into rooster/flock leader mode, she quit laying completely. About a year ago or so, she popped out of it and started laying again, lol. Her comb did not do the quick change Chameleon thing after that

There was never any aggression. She has always been and remains a very calm-assertive flock leader.

Truly fascinating creatures, always keeping us on our toes

 

[SourRoses]

One day, I wore a completely different pair of shoes because I was in a hurry.

They startled because you were in a hurry. They are perceptive of body language while most humans aren't even remotely aware of it. It's very normal chicken behavior to startle, as a prey species.
For a prey animal to attack, they either need to be amped on testosterone, or backed into an absolutely desperate corner with no other options. A female prey animal will almost always choose flight over fight.

People come up with all sorts of ways to blame themselves for what others do to them. Just because someone else has reached for that excuse doesn't make it right.

 

[carollmcarlson]

I had a pullet that went from reasonably friendly to stalking and attacking me from behind. She was one of three sex links I raised from chicks, so she and her sisters were equally friendly until she wasn't. I even put a leg tag on her so I would know when she was near me because the three were identical. I'd never had this with any of the chickens I've raised. I finally sold her at auction as a laying hen. Life is too short to keep a mean hen. Even my grandchildren started calling her Cruela DeVille. It has only happened once in the 7 years I've been raising chickens. I have no idea what caused it.

 

[the old rooster]

I went back up there and she RIPPED my earring out of the hole. Looks like I have to get it re-pierced.

This is your Chicken albeit a hen. Would make a good chicken soup or Bar b que . Seriously don't mess around, this attitude will make life miserable, don't wate to see someone loose an Eye . Animal Husbandry. Means to do what is needed.