Aggressive hens

[redneck4life27]

I have 15 RIR pullets recently theres been 2 hens that are constantly after my fiancee everywhere she goes in the coop and in the run they are always right after her. The other day she got bit and she gave it a kick the hen was right there again almost like a cockerel. So i started going in and the hen does the samething Im new to raising chickens we got them in early may as chicks. Any advice what to do? If the aggression continues should i cull it? If it is a cockerel at what age would it begin crowing? Another Question when should my chickens start laying?

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if you may have a couple of cockerels. The behavior that you are encountering is not common with young pullets. Can you post pictures? Approximate age for laying is 20 weeks give or take a couple weeks. Crowing generally starts a couple of weeks before that.

 

[sourland]

Has the situation resolved?

 

[Jan77]

We had a few issues with aggressive pullets and roos. My husband and I would catch a chicken just after the aggression and hold and pet it for a few minutes sometimes hand feeding them a treat. We continued this until the aggressive behavior stopped. They are now friendly with children and adults alike. Let her feed some special treat to them while you hold and pet them. Then let her pet them. Just like with horses, if she acts afraid, they know it. This worked for us, hopefully will work for you as well. If she is too nervous to do this, let her take in treats and feed all the chickens several times. This will get them used to her and they will learn she brings "goodies".

 

[1muttsfan]

RIR roos can be quite aggressive, so if you have any young cockerels that are already out of line you might consider some future plans for them away from your home - freezer camp may be a good idea.

 

[redneck4life27]

Still trying to figure out which ones are roosters. I will post some pics.