Aggressive Australorp Pecking Me and My Wife... Resisting Normal Responses

[Mulrich]

Hey all!

I have a little flock of four and one of my most docile Australorps has started being very aggressive. She is about four and a half months old and out of nowhere started aggressively pecking (not curious pecking) my wife and then has started with me the past few days. When I let her out to free-range from the run, she runs right up to me and starts trying to peck my shoes. We have held her down, pecked at her head with our fingers, but today she came at me eight times with the same results despite my holding her down and pecking back with fingers. The first few times she would get up, ruffle her feathers with her neck up, and come at me again. Each time I would repeat. Eventually she stopped, but then she did it again when I put them back in the run.

Not sure what has changed, but should I just keep consistently doing the same thing (hold her down, peck the back of her head?) Is it just a matter of consistently doing this for a few weeks? Should I try another tactic? If so, what?

Lots of questions . Any advice moving forward would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Halfpasthen]

Hey all!

I have a little flock of four and one of my most docile Australorps has started being very aggressive. She is about four and a half months old and out of nowhere started aggressively pecking (not curious pecking) my wife and then has started with me the past few days. When I let her out to free-range from the run, she runs right up to me and starts trying to peck my shoes. We have held her down, pecked at her head with our fingers, but today she came at me eight times with the same results despite my holding her down and pecking back with fingers. The first few times she would get up, ruffle her feathers with her neck up, and come at me again. Each time I would repeat. Eventually she stopped, but then she did it again when I put them back in the run.

Not sure what has changed, but should I just keep consistently doing the same thing (hold her down, peck the back of her head?) Is it just a matter of consistently doing this for a few weeks? Should I try another tactic? If so, what?

Lots of questions . Any advice moving forward would be appreciated! Thanks!

Can you post pics of this chicken? Sounds like a possible cockerel that's getting hormonal. I've actually never really come across anyone having a hen attacking them.

 

[Mulrich]

Can you post pics of this chicken? Sounds like a possible cockerel that's getting hormonal. I've actually never really come across anyone having a hen attacking them.

Sure. Here she is... in the multiple bird pic, she is the one on the blue chair. She has never crowed or done any rooster-esque noises.

 

[abpatchy]

Looks like a rooster to me...
compare it to the other black pullet on the ground... so much more comb and waddles...