Aggressive hen?

Ah... you have one of those. I'm assuming you don't have a roo because your hen has taken on the roo role. That shuffle she did to you was the "rooster dance"... her way of dominating you! Don't let her do that to you. Chase her off to show her that YOU are the boss!
By giving her a swat and pushing her, you are "fighting" her back. I have one roo who used to be really bad, but giving him love worked the best! He will still have those moods sometimes, but for the most part, he's fine.
When she does that to you, try to chase her off (without touching her). If she just fights back, pick her up and hold her until she calms down. Sometimes I will pin my roo down on the ground in front of his ladies, and that straightens him right up.

 

Don't count her out just yet-she may just be the high hen in the pecking order. Good layers will have bright red combs and soft abdomens.

 

Hi Blue Rose, I'm worried that one of my BO girls is like that also. She is almost 7 months old and bigger (by about 20%) than the other 4, but hasn't laid an egg yet and is definitely the dominant hen. Her comb is still rather small and pale though. I can pick up all the others, but she won't let me near her. I am hoping that she does eventually lay. I guess that if you need a dominant hen/rooster type in every group, at least she isn't crowing and hasn't attacked any passing neighbors yet. She does peck hard, (usually for food- I hand feed them all, except her, because she pecks too hard) but hasn't done any shuffly type dances to me, or pecked me except when she thinks the freckles on my legs are bugs.

Maybe in the Spring I'll get some eggs from her. . .

Kay

 

Hi BlueRose, I read a thread here before about chickens who try to dominate thier owners and I can't find it now..darn it. I recall the member solved her problem by picking up the chicken who was trying to dominate and carried it around while he/she did the chicken chores. I think she/he said she did this for several days and the chicken went back to being submissive to the humans again. Good luck and keep us posted about your rowdy hen.

 

I am having the same problem. My youngest hen, a Red Sexlink, who used to be at the bottom of the pecking order (of 3), is now at the top and very aggressive. She grabs food from the other 2 chickens' mouths and pecks at our hands when we reach in to change the food, water etc. And she pecks HARD. Can't believe how strong she is. But she is an excellent layer.

I think her behaviour changed when I moved them to their winter location. The coop and run are not very big, and she has a lot of energy.

 

"bluerose
I have my suspicions that this gal is androgynous... she has a big ol comb and big wattles, hen feathers, "

Maybe there is chicken therapy for gender-confused hens?!