Breed Question and Suggestion

[M Brennen]

I have a mixture of breeds, Araucana, Rhode Island Reds. Barred Rocks, and Golden Comets. They are all together and just over 4 weeks old. For the past few weeks a few of my Barred Rocks have gotten somewhat aggressive with me. No the usual curious pecking, but actually biting my hand. This morning one actually left a mark! I know it is getting a little crowded in their box, but they will need to be in there for another week and some of these Barred Rocks have been doing this for a weeks. IS it the breed or am I to suspect they might be roosters? I will need to continue to put my hand in the box to feed them. Any suggestions how to curb this behavior?

 

[HappyClucker7]

Without pictures of them, I can't tell you if they are roosters.
It's not the breed, barred rocks are actually really friendly.
My barred rocks, at that age, had a few aggression issues, but mostly towards each other. I had to separate them until they were older. The behavior stopped once they were two months old. I don't know if that would be the same for you, but that was my experience.

 

[M Brennen]

Without pictures of them, I can't tell you if they are roosters.
It's not the breed, barred rocks are actually really friendly.
My barred rocks, at that age, had a few aggression issues, but mostly towards each other. I had to separate them until they were older. The behavior stopped once they were two months old. I don't know if that would be the same for you, but that was my experience.

I haven’t noticed the aggression toward the other birds, just to me. I do have one Barred Rock with a larger comb than the others, but that isn’t one of the birds that bites at me. I will try to get pictures.

 

[Justso]

Do you have treats in your hand when they peck you?
Do they have access to chicken feed all the time? I'm trying to tell if they're aggressive or hangry.

 

[M Brennen]

Do you have treats in your hand when they peck you?
Do they have access to chicken feed all the time? I'm trying to tell if they're aggressive or hangry.

I don’t give them treats yet and they have access to food at all times. It seems to be one or two of the Barred Rocks. There is one Barred Rock that I think might be a rooster, but that isn’t the one that peck me. Even when if I open the box and leanEd in with my body one pecked at my shirt this morning. Strange bird.

 

[The Happster]

I don't believe roosters peck more than hens. In my experience, I have been pecked more by the girls.
Pictures would be extremely helpful.
I am inclined to think they are just treat searching and not being aggressive.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I don’t give them treats yet and they have access to food at all times. It seems to be one or two of the Barred Rocks. There is one Barred Rock that I think might be a rooster, but that isn’t the one that peck me. Even when if I open the box and leanEd in with my body one pecked at my shirt this morning. Strange bird.

Do you have rings on your finger or buttons on your shirts? Could also be that they are crowded. Some birds are just curious and peck at everything. Photos would help with the gender question

 

[JadeFarms]

I agree with @Homesteadermomma6382 that they are probably just really curious. Mine peck at my hands and anything that’s on my arms, sometimes even dirt lol.

 

[Justso]

Yes, I'm tending towards mouthy chick given the info. Maybe not aggressive, just very touchy-feely. This may turn out to be a tame hen, if it is a pullet.

 

[birdlover2]

Some of my mother's bantams will peck my hand really hard when I have treats. If they're used to getting fed by your hand that way, they may think that whenever your hand comes in it has food, and boy do they want that food! You could fill a dish for them and put it in there, maybe even without using your hand somehow. Is it just u they're pecking, or are they pecking others in your household. It's probably not the breed. It may not mean roos, cause hens tend to use their beeks more to attack and roos try to use their spurrs, even if they're not fully developed yet, but of course that's in dealing with pullets. It may be aggressive/dominant hens or just chickens greedy for food. Try this, hold food in your hand, but whenever one pecks you exceptionally hard close and withdraw it so they don't get anything. It's a training techniche I've just started trying to use with my mother's bantams, and it appears to work at least a little.