Aggressive Hen

[StephanieB1220]

How aggressive is the hen? Does she draw blood? How much? I raise gamefowl/junglefowl crosses and here the aggression has not yet been bred out of them. What you are seeing is probably nothing compared to what chickens can do to each other, us and potential predators.

Nothing bad, she never breaks the skin and even when she pecks or bites me it is not what I've experienced before. I pinned her down for a few seconds today when she came at me instead of holding her and it seemed to work!

 

[StephanieB1220]

I would still put her in a crate. It's nice that she acts that way when you hold her, the issue is before that point.

I can't bring myself to put her in a crate but I did try pinning her down today and it seemed to work so fingers crossed she'll eventually stop!

 

[StephanieB1220]

Hi. When my Buff gets aggressive like that with me or other hens, I do one of three things:
1. Pin her down to the ground and hold her there for a few minutes.
2. Squirt her with my high power squirt bottle right in the face.
3. If she’s being exceptionally nasty to me or the other hens, she goes in a milk crate for a few hours (very small crate).
Those three things seem to do the trick to calm her down and show that I’m in charge.

Pinning her worked!

 

[aart]

If she's protecting them she's doing a crappy job cause a hawk got one of my littles today. However, when I went out to clean up the little bit left today she did start to come at me and I pinned her down for a few seconds and when she got up she just kind of looked at me and just walked away. I honestly feel kind of bad because I love my chickens like pets but the behavior needs to stop and I do recognize that i've been rewarding her bad behavior by picking her up so I'm trying!

Pinning her worked!

Good News!

It doesn't take much, and yes it seems 'mean' but chicken are 'mean', it's what they understand.

 

[StephanieB1220]

Good News!

It doesn't take much, and yes it seems 'mean' but chicken are 'mean', it's what they understand.

I completely understand! My sister was talking about how we have all this research that shows corporal punishment is bad.....I looked at her like she was crazy and told her they are animals and in the animal kingdom this is how they get their point across lol