I have my suspicions that this gal is androgynous... she has a big ol comb and big wattles, hen feathers, hen behaviors (squats and fluffs the nests) but is definitely far more aggressive than my other three. She's a BO and around 6mo old. Mostly she just pecks. I always either grab her and give her a little shake or give her a swat and push her backwards. Either way she comes back and pecks again about 75% of the time. Also does the puffed approach and lifts one wing and sort of shuffles over. I'm getting kind of tired of it. My other three are very sweet. The one who was pecking some has stopped and only pecks my shoes and very gently- never my hands. The hen in question pecks my hands and HARD. Ideas? I don't think she's laying- one of the BOs is, I think it's my sweet Amber-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.
Her comb is definitely bright red... but so big it is flopping over. I would not think of her to be the dominant hen in the crowd but I guess she could be. Red-hen is attempting to play rooster... she was rather chatty today... squaaAAAAAAWWWKKKKKKK squawk squawk squuuaaaaAAAAAAAWK... ALL DAY... sitting on the roost screaming her fool head off. I suppose my Amber-hen will be a champ layer when she gets rolling, then- she has a lovely comb that perfectly complements the rest of her and she's quite soft and cuddly... such a good hen
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?!