7 month old pullet suddenly aggressive towards me

[Ecsnyder]

I noticed about a couple weeks ago my super friendly 7month old Appenzeller pullet started becoming aggressive towards me. Cackles up, jumping back as if to fight me & fierce pecking. She never did this before. We had left town for Labor Day & she was this way when we returned. She has actually stopped laying over the last week or so too. She is not broody, just mean. I have tried to figure this out & come up short. She is probably close to the bottom of the pecking order, but not the last. We have plenty of space in the run & the coop. Any tips on how to stop this behavior?

 

[azygous]

A puzzle, indeed. You don't mention when she reached point of lay. The sudden aggression often can involve hormones. Hormones settle down once a pullet begins to lay. Where they may have been mistrustful and skittish before, they noticeably become calmer, more trusting and friendly after they've been laying for a few weeks. I don't see why the reverse couldn't also occur.

Genetics gets into the act, too. Combined with hormones, they may trigger aggressive behaviors. Having you gone on that trip can trigger stress, returning can trigger stress again as you reappear. Stress can play a role in aggression.

Those are the causes of aggression. The cures are a bit more complex, that is, if there is such a thing as a cure. Taking measures to calm the flock, in particular, this hen, can help. Reduce noise levels and surrounding activity and traffic. Stop or reduce the amount of carbs they get in the form of treats aside from regular feed. Be sure they have complete dark at night, no moving light sources or bright overhead lights.

One thing I've read is giving Tryptophan to an aggressive chicken in their food can lower aggressive behavior, but I haven't tried it yet, though I intend to try it on my feather pickers as the behavior ramps up next spring.

 

[aart]

She never did this before. We had left town for Labor Day & she was this way when we returned

Wonders what happened while you were gone?

 

[Ecsnyder]

She started laying at about 5 months & was always consistent. Now I'm questioning something happening while I was out of town. May have to ask the gal who was here.