Agressive Hen Attacking Me???????

[TwoCrows]

I have 4, 3 1/2 month old Black Australorp girls whom I adore.

I do not have a rooster, so I had thought that maybe one of my hens might try to be a bit dominant. My smallest girl has taken the position of top of the pecking order. However not only is she the "top bird" in the pecking order, she will come after me if she doesn't like what I am doing around her, or if I try to break her up from pecking another. She will even raise her hackles at me and come running to attack my hands and bite me.

At first I tried to gently push her away but that only makes her madder. So now I have taken to grabbing her and holding her upside down on her back on the ground and lecturing her on how "I am the top bird". Directly afterwards, she will go back to being the sweet little baby girl I have always loved. But later in the day, she is back at the aggression.

What can I do? I have used the "flip upside down on the back" technique on a few male quail that have become aggressive they eventually stopped attacking me. Any advise would help. Thanks...Leyla

 

[GoldenSparrow]

could you post a pic of her ?

are you sure shes not a roo?

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote:
Not the greatest picture of her as nobody would hold still. But here she is at 13 weeks old. She is the one up front. Her comb and wattles are the same size as all the other girls.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

she sure looks like a hen.

 

[TwoCrows]

Can anyone give me ANY advise?

 

[Pele]

I would try isolating her from the flock for a week or two. Then you intergrate her with the flock again. By this point, she will have lost her place in the pecking order, and will get disciplined by the others. This may bring her down a peg or two, and automatically solve your problems.

If this doesn't fix your problem, then take her away from the flock, and either process her or give her away. There are so many good chickens out there that need a loving home. There's no reason to put up with a bird that makes your life miserable, and makes you wonder why you ever got chickens.

 

[CatDaddyAlbert]

I VERY MUCH AGREE with Pele....Isolate her sooner than later. If you can even get her out of sight of the others. Maybe you have a comfortable cage you could put her in for a couple of weeks. Along with that have personal contact with her as much as you can. In all the years I have had these GREAT creatures in my life I have only had this happen once with a hen. I put here back in with the others in three weeks.....and watched her...and didn't like what I saw so I pulled her again. I tried her in two more weeks and she had completely changed.

One thing I would have done had I put her back in and she came after me again, I would call everyone I know with chickens and find here a new home. I am VERY VERY patient with my birds and can interact with ALL except the Guineas, but my patience only goes so far when it comes to a bird coming after me.

Good luck with your challenge.

Albert

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you all for the posts. I had never thought of separating her from the rest of the flock. But that is a great idea. I have done that with other poultry when they fight with each other, and it seems to work. But I never thought the attacking of me and the isolatating her would work on my problem.

I will fashion up something to keep her at bay for a week or 2 and see how much change I can get out of her. She was such a sweet heart until lately, and was even my best lap sitter. I would hate to have to find her a new home, however as you both said, nobody needs an aggressive chicken. Thanks so much....Leyla

 

[Happy Chooks]

She's a pullet. I have been bitten by more pullets than I have cockerals. Next time she tries to bite you, take your index finger and "peck" her on top of the head with it until she backs down.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have tried grabbing her beak and sometimes she will back down and stand perfectly still. It depends on her mood. Why do pullets get so aggressive?