aggressive pullet

[sd38-2]

My wife and i are new to chickens, we have a small backyard flock of 4 ISA browns. They are all good with each other and my wife. Three are good with me but one pecks at me aggressively. The girl that pecks at me loves my wife and is very gentle with her, she just started acting aggressively to me. What can i do to stop her behavior towards me? I did push her away from me today and she stayed away after i did that.

 

[sourland]

When she comes at you, gently but firmly force her to the ground with one hand while pushing her head down with the other. Hold her there until she stops struggling. If she comes right back at you, subordinate her again and keep it up until she gives up. Fairly certain you can adjust this behavior.

 

[sd38-2]

When she comes at you, gently but firmly force her to the ground with one hand while pushing her head down with the other.  Hold her there until she stops struggling.  If she comes right back at you, subordinate her again and keep it up until she gives up.  Fairly certain you can adjust this behavior.

thanks, i will try that if she comes at me again. She is the only aggressive chicken in our flock and is only aggressive to me.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Another thing you can do is take your fingers and hold them together straight out and tap her on the back of the head. This would imitate another chicken pecking her. That is how chickens communicate in the pecking order when they don't like what the other one is doing. Keep doing this a little bit harder each time she goes after you.

 

[sourland]

Another thing you can do is take your fingers and hold them together straight out and tap her on the back of the head. This would imitate another chicken pecking her. That is how chickens communicate in the pecking order when they don't like what the other one is doing. Keep doing this a little bit harder each time she goes after you.

This may very well work, but in some cases it will cause the bird to escalate it's behavior even to the point of flogging as if fighting another bird.

 

[centrarchid]

Is it possble she trained you to put out feed at least some of the time when she pecks you? I have some American Dominiques that are prone to do such making so I have to be careful not to reward putting out feed immediately after a pecking, a bird runs up to me, or a bucket is pecked. They quickly learn to flog things which is a pain to de-train them of.

 

[sd38-2]

Is it possble she trained you to put out feed at least some of the time when she pecks you? I have some American Dominiques that are prone to do such making so I have to be careful not to reward putting out feed immediately after a pecking, a bird runs up to me, or a bucket is pecked. They quickly learn to flog things which is a pain to de-train them of.

No, she just started this behavior. She has pecked me when opening the coop door first thing in the morning, she pecks when i clean the coop, and anytime im in the coop.

 

[centrarchid]

What is you typical response?

 

[sd38-2]

I started with pushing her away. Tonight when i closed the coop up and check on the flock she came after me so i held her down as Sourland suggested.

 

[aart]

I do the head pecking first...then, if necessary, the push them to the ground.

How old are these birds?
Are you positive 'she's' not a 'he'?