Attacking hen

[ksilber]

Our almost 20 week bantam cochin has gone from being a lap chicken to attack chicken in a week... She was so lovely and sweet and would crawl in my lap a couple weeks ago. She now puffs up and attacks me (or my 2 year old daughter) whenever we go in the coop or the enclosure. I don't know where this attitude came from. I have taken to grabbing her and carrying her around when she comes after us, but I have had to grab her and carry her around every time we got eggs the past week... She is not even laying yet, but is getting close. Will she settle down once she actually lays an egg or should I just get rid of her now... I can't risk her attacking my daughter while she is free ranging. Thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi, are you sure she is a pullet I only ask this as we once got given a black Orpington as a young pullet. All was well at first it was quite friendly got on with other members of the flock free ranged in the garden. Then after a month or so it turned it a devil chicken started chasing the dogs in the garden and upsetting everyone else in the end we found it new home and it eventually turned out to be cockerel !! He has now made a lovely friendly gentle bird now that his teenage troubles are behind him.

 

[ksilber]

Here is a picture of the "Little Dear"... I had to send her to chicken jail again because she was acting aggressive towards me while taking the pic... And I had just thrown her some scratch which she ignored.... She was also free ranging so shouldn't have been too protective of "her space". I am not so worried about her hurting me as she is just a tiny little thing, but she riles up my rooster when I do grab her and he wants to protect her, so he gets his feathers ruffled and enters my space while dealing with her. Then everyone is mad, especially me! She is too little for soup!