Buff Orp comes after me!

[Kait27]

I have four buffs and got my first egg on sunday, and the others are all getting ready- they are all doing the egg squat for me. I'm not sure why yours aren't laying at 7 months, (i know buffs can be late bloomers) but I've definitely seen a change in behavior just this week. I think if you can hang on until they start laying, you'll notice that they become way more friendly. The difference between my chickens a week ago and today is unbelievable! They lived inside and were handled frequently until they were about 6 weeks old, and when they moved outside, i would go sit in the coop for a few minutes and let them jump on me. But after the awkward dinosaur stage passed, most of them enjoyed attention from afar and were curious, but weren't interested in being touched, with the exception of my smallest, "Runty". (They would eat out of my hand, but if i tried to reach out and touch them, they wouldn't have it.) Last night I went to visit the coop after I got home, and I could barely keep them in the door. All four were crowding and it seemed like I didn't have enough hands to give everyone the attention they wanted. I would pet two and a third was eating my jacket. Seems that laying (or being about to lay) makes them quite a bit friendlier.
just my two cents.

 

[LynneP]

I would stop feeding her by hand. She is associating your body with food, so has started pecking you. Always have a treat in something like an old plastic cup...she may become quite friendly in time, she obviously likes what you represent...

Her breed has a rep for being very sweet, actually.

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

I have a hen like that and after knocking her a time or two, not hard but enough to move her, she's stopped. I don't condone violence, but this is not a violent thing. more like a push away from me. Don't know if that'll help. Good luck!

 

[xC0000005]

Quote:
I vote nurture versus nature. If I sit near my BOs they hop in my lap.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

There's a "mean hen" thread that has some ideas. One was a spray bottle to spray with water to establish you as top hen.

 

[Joyryder]

Quote:
WOW Im sorry to hear that. I have 12 BO's and all of them are gentler and friendlier than my other 13 EEs and BA's. Mine prefer not to be held, but they will follow me everywhere. They do get underfoot often. If you lived close to me I'd give you a couple of good ones. I had 2 roos that were gentlemen with 6 and 8 year olds.

 

[mistyfeather]

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she would think you were giving her a shower, my friends chickens would take showers in her sprinkler in the summer, it was so funny to watch because it was one of the kind that goes forwards and backward and all her hens would try to folow it!

 

[Iwannachicken]

Wow, Thanks for all the ideas! I did grab her and carry her around the yard this morning when I fed them.
She started to puff up at me but I kind of shoved her around so I could get her without being pecked. OMG did
she squawk at first but within a few seconds she settled down and let me pet her while I was carrying her around.
When I cleaned out the coop on Monday, she came up and supervised, mostly from one of the nest boxes,
so I think she may be getting ready to lay. One of them has been clucking loud enough for us to hear inside the house
but I don't know which one.

They were in bed by the time I went out there tonight, so I don't know if this morning made any difference or not. I'll see
tomorrow, I guess. I might start letting her out a little too, b/c she does seem to be the lowest one in the pecking order.

I was worried about my dog, Daisy, chasing them, but she got a good peck on the nose this morning and ran in the house everytime I
offered to let her smell Chickasaw (the chicken).

Thanks again!

 

[gsim]

BO's have a rep for being exceptionally sweet and easy to become pets among chicken breeds. Not the best layers, averaging maybe 3 eggs weekly in warm weather. There are exceptions. I would try carrying her around a lot for a couple of days and feeding her from your hand while you hold her. If the bad behavior returns, knock her for a good loop if she even starts with attitude. YOU are the head/alpha chicken and she needs to know that beyond any shadow of a doubt. I have one broody buff comet hen but she only tries to bite if I reach towards her while she is down in nest. All others allow me to pet them even while laying or down in nest. She is fine any other time so I have no reason to apply the hand of correction.

 

[Iwannachicken]

Quote:
I've knocked her back a few times, and none too gently either. I don't want to hurt her, but she can't be getting aggressive to me.

None of them really let me pet them, but that's okay, they're chickens, not dogs or cats. I did enjoy carrying her around this morning and think I'll
do that on a regular basis. I'd do the same thing with the others if I could catch them. I'm also thinking about letting all 5 of them out for a little while,
just before dark. They've been in the ark since they got out of the brooder except for one of the GLWs that is a bit of an escape artist. Funny, as soon as she
realizes she's out, she wants back in and we have to play ring around the chicken ark for a few minutes before she finds the door.
I'm worried they'll fly over the fence and run out in the road, tho. I don't want to be chasing chickens all over the neighborhood.