Barred Rocks!!!!!!!!! Why are they so mean?

[Wfpendragon]

Our young girls love to bite us to get attention...it's cute sometimes but their bites are hard and they do hurt. I still love them though, BRS sure do have attitude!

 

[country girl44]

My barred rock is the only 1 I have with 2 production reds, 2 rocks cross columbians, and 3 RIR's and I always gave them all attention since babies, and they all eat from my hand and run to me the minute I enter their coop, my girl louise ( one of my P Red's ) loves sitting on my lap and always talks to me but when I try to touch lucy my BR she nips at me, and then if my rock cross see her doing it they nip at me too. I gave away my other BR because I thought it was a rooster, and it turned out not to be but, she's FREE range where she lives now, and I do not want to take that away from her, even though in time I will teach my girls to free range and come back to the coop area. Lucy (BR), is not mean to the other ones, but make me nerves that she will keep nipping at me, and I really don't want to start being afraid of her. I'm going to keep trying to get her to be nice. I spend plenty of time with them all everyday, and I will not give up. hoping one day she will be that one that also sits on my lap. I also thought because of no rooster, she is top hen and that's where the attitude is coming from, but my top hen is one of my P Red's. I've noticed that already.

 

[slordaz]

Think there are several enviromental factors, from what I've seen with first years hatches. Our flock is pretty varied

Our flock free ranges, we have chickens that hatched from the flock some broody raised some hatched in the incubator and kept separate from the flock until they were old enough to fend for themselves against the older ones. There is a big difference between them behavior wise.

Broody raised they don't get much interaction as she wasn't gonna have nobody around her chicks for 6 weeks , are better at defending themselves but not very people friendly
Hand raised, super friendly with humans, but don't do as well integrating into flock as they are sweet docile and get picked on to much, they can act like spoiled brats.

Then add in we have roosters in the flock.

Everyone's set up is different, location and way they do things can also affect how they behave, just remember you have to decide what is going to work best for your situation

You gotta find a happy medium that will work for you.

 

[Raphayela]

I’m taking two little barred rocks to the sale today because they bully the other chickens. My least favorite chicken breed ever.

 

[Doorboss]

We have 8 Barred Rocks and they have such attitudes. They peck at us all the time.

We have several other breeds and these are the only ones who do this. Does anyone else have this problem?

Yes, I have 2, one is nice and one is a demon She draws blood every time I pick her up!

 

[loohoo]

I’ve had 2 Barred Rocks and they’ve both been sweet! We lost one this past winter at 4yo…she was one of my favorites! She never liked being held, but she’d always come up to hang out with you, and was always so curious and ate everything like it was her last meal. lol The other BR we still have, she’s young - maybe 6months old, and she’s the same way…very similar personality.

I don’t really think it’s a breed thing, more just an individual personality thing. However I’ve heard the same for Rhode Island Reds, and have honestly stayed away from that breed for that reason - so, there’s that! I can’t really talk! lol

 

[McChooky]

My Wyandotte is the queen the coop and answers to no one but the brown leghorns are the meanest They'll stand up and fight like roosters and yank each others feathers out. They're also the youngest

 

[lagrange chicks]

My B.Rocks are sweethearts to me, 1 or 2 of the 5 pick on the low in pecking order Easter Egger but the Easter Egger learned how and when to stay clear.

 

[Birdmama64]

We have 8 Barred Rocks and they have such attitudes. They peck at us all the time.

We have several other breeds and these are the only ones who do this. Does anyone else have this problem?

My Barred Rocks are mean to the younger Barred Rocks and other chickens, I have to separate them so the others can eat and drink.

 

[lagrange chicks]

My Barred Rocks are mean to the younger Barred Rocks and other chickens, I have to separate them so the others can eat and drink.

I have 3 feeders (1 in coop) and 4 water sources, 3 in there run and 1 in the coop I remove in the winter. There is always somewhere a picked on chicken can drink or eat.