Aggressive Chicken

[MamacatPatch]

We have 30 chickens of various breeds [haven't figured out what they all are yet] and they are 'about' 18 weeks old. We've gotten two eggs so far, about a week or so apart. From what we can tell, it seems just over half are males.

One of them has crooked feet, so we baby her and have since she was small. She's always come to us, wants to be picked up and/or petted. I even hand feed her bugs. But the last month or so she's been pecking at us. She pecks at our feet, our legs and our hands, even pecks after getting picked up. Now hubby thinks 'she' might be a 'he'!

Earlier when I went out to close up the coop for the night, she began to peck at my hands and I grabbed her around the neck, not choking her but letting her get the point that pecking was NOT acceptable! Then I gave her a toss. She came back and I tossed her again. She got some good pecks in and I've got blood bruises on my hand!

If she is a he, he's not an alpha male but is mostly a loner. How do you stop a chicken from being so aggressive? Why would she suddenly start being so aggressive toward us? We have become fond of this one, but much more of this and I'm putting her/him on the dinner menu! Any chance they are 'jealousy' pecks or 'love' pecks? Or is that ridiculous? This is my first flock!

But I would like to try everything I can FIRST to stop this aggressive behavior if possible. I've already sent some of the roosters 'airborne' for aggressive behavior toward me, so I have some ideas on being the 'alpha male' already. HELP!!

Hen or Roo? Here's a pix:

 

[Poison Ivy]

I won't keep a mean roo I have a small daughter and i won't take that chance. I make sure he knows his place with me. I don't let him eat first and I won't let him mount a hen around me either. I want him to know I'm the head chicken. I think he knows for sure now. A few weeks ago I reduced my flock by 90% and we rounded them up in the coops. I went in the run the other day to get a pullet that was limping and he couldn't get away from me quick enough. I think he thought I was after him this time. He's a good boy and very good to his ladies. Plus he has taken up with the chicks he calls them over for treats and any goodies he finds. It might be his breed too. I think that has something to do with their behavior also. He's a delaware and i've read other posts where people say certains breeds are gentle.

 

[Wally]

I think maybe the tame ones peck because they are used to being hand feed and when they aren't being feed they peck to find something to eat.

 

[MamacatPatch]

I ended up separating the roos from the hens by dividing the run in half. We tried to find someone to process the roos but were not successful.

SO, we let the roos run by putting a 'door' in their side of the run so they can come and go. Now they basically have the 'run' of the yard, woods, etc. Two met their maker the first and second day out when they flew into the fenced dog area where our three dogs are. Glad I didn't witness it, but we did find the feathers in 'their' part of the yard and ultimately the carcass which they didn't eat. Guess they saw the roos as invading their domain.

Eventually, we are hoping that the roos will be fewer and we do plan to process some ourselves before winter. Hubby assures me he knows how to do it.

Meanwhile the hens and the alpha roo are happy in their coop and run. Still weeding out a few that I can't tell if they are hens or roos, but all in all, I have learned a valuable and tragic lesson with it all.

 

[countrygirl4513]

Scoop it up and turn it upside down! I held them like that by the feet. It won't hurt them and eventually it may become submissive to you. Also when feeding treats make sure you give it to your hens first and make this mean one wait in line till the girls are done.