Aggressive chick - Edit: Success!!!!! Worth the work =)

[prince89]

i have a 5wk old pekin bantam hen and shes been fighting myself and other people she goes for your hands when you try and stroke her, ive raised her since she was 12hrs old and she lives in my flat what can i do please help

 

[AZSummer]

Noobchick. I forgot to mention that Sheila is an EE.

 

[Barrdwing]

I've had some aggression issues with hand-raised chicks, but not many--usually it sets in when they're older. I have a roo that was raised as an orphan, and at two months old he decided he was going to fight me. When he tried it, I would pick him up and carry him around for a while; if he thought he was going to thrash around, I'd grab his legs so that he couldn't get anywhere. If he bit me, I gave him a sharp, "Stop that!" and if he did it again, I would grab his hackles near his face and hold them for a few seconds--kind of like a "cheek grab" on a dog. It took a while, but he eventually learned that I was bigger than him and he wasn't going to win anyway, and that when he was well-behaved I was nice as pie right back.

For a chick to start in so young is worrisome, but you can certainly try the above things and see how it goes. Kind of like training dogs, be very consistent in your responses to the little rascal's actions, and try to work out positive rewards as well as corrections for bad behavior. Good luck!

 

[ChickyLove]

I have three 5 week old EE chicks. Two pullets and a roo. When they start in with the aggressive attitude, I pick them up, grab the beak between two fingers, stare them in the eye and hiss like a cat. It works QUITE well!

 

[Barrdwing]

I like it! And it gives them an auditory signal that you're annoyed with them, which could come in handy later on. Although we don't hear chickens hiss nearly as much as other birds, I have had broody hens hiss at me. "Hiss" seems to be a universal language.

 

[prince89]

thankyou i will try som of the above i wont grab her legs as wen i had a cockeral last year that wen i told him off he became very wary of me and it became very hard to catch him, i shall try the hissing tho, shes very clever she knows where her cage is and that her food is there, i have a shared garden and comes outside wen i ave a fag (bad habit) shes a lap chicken and likes to be stroked on her chest wen she wants to be. ive tried tapping her on her head she runs off but comes back with avengance to tell me off and puts her hackles up. somtimes its very frustrating wen she bites you tho because it really hurts oh and she was born on friday 13th and is 6wks today.

one more thing - any tips on house training. ive looked on the net and it says to sit by the news paper with the chick on your hand and every time its about to poo place it over the area make a noise and give a treat, i timed her between each poo wen she was 2wks she was going ever 6mins but then waited 52mins has any1 got any better ideas easier ideas, wen i go out shes caged i let her out wen i get home so when she poos i can clean it up straight away i would like her out all the time please help again.

 

[Jerseycoop]

Quote:

got this image in my mind so funny! Glad it works

 

[Chickiemom25]

Make that 4.. I put my EE in a dog crate yesterday and hope a day of time out might help.. If not.. it will be 2 days next time.

 

[citybiddies]

One of our RIR chicks went through an aggressive phase when she was about 5 weeks. She was running up to the others and pecking at heads and eyes with no provocation whatsoever. At the time she seemed to be near the bottom of the pecking order, but these are our first chicks so we couldn't be sure. We were planning to set her up in a cat carrier to keep her separated, but in the meantime we noticed that she seemed to like being held and would happily sit on one of our laps for as long as we would let her. Then when we put her back in the brooder she wouldn't cause any trouble for a while. Then she'd go back on the attack and we'd take her out again. I guess it's poor training since we were rewarding behavior we didn't want, but the problem seemed to run its course in about 3 days. She's 17 weeks now and is very sweet, curious, and fits right in with the flock.

 

[TerryQui]

My chicks are mutts. Part araucana though. I have silkies in the incubator. I sure hope they accept them ok.

Eat the meanie?

I would. lol I don't think I could be the one to butcher though.