Buff Orpington hen is aggressive!

[Lizaynez7]

Hi everyone,
So I have a almost 5 month old BO hen (honey) that has recently become aggressive with me. We have another BO hen apart from her and 2 road island reds that are sweet. In the pecking order honey is 3rd in line. If I feed them all treats she pecks the hardest at me and usually leaves me marks. I’ve tapped her on the head and beak & pushed her back to show her I’m the boss but that just ruffles her feathers even more and she puffs out her chest and tries to attack me. I’m worried she’ll attack my 5 year old son who loves them and feeds them daily. Is there something else I can do to get her to be friendly? Or should I be thinking about rehoming her?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hi everyone,
So I have a almost 5 month old BO hen (honey) that has recently become aggressive with me. We have another BO hen apart from her and 2 road island reds that are sweet. In the pecking order honey is 3rd in line. If I feed them all treats she pecks the hardest at me and usually leaves me marks. I’ve tapped her on the head and beak & pushed her back to show her I’m the boss but that just ruffles her feathers even more and she puffs out her chest and tries to attack me. I’m worried she’ll attack my 5 year old son who loves them and feeds them daily. Is there something else I can do to get her to be friendly? Or should I be thinking about rehoming her?

I'm so sorry! That must be very worrisome!

I found my hens calmed down a lot after they started laying. She is getting close to that age. Maybe give her a few more months?

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Hi everyone,
So I have a almost 5 month old BO hen (honey) that has recently become aggressive with me. We have another BO hen apart from her and 2 road island reds that are sweet. In the pecking order honey is 3rd in line. If I feed them all treats she pecks the hardest at me and usually leaves me marks. I’ve tapped her on the head and beak & pushed her back to show her I’m the boss but that just ruffles her feathers even more and she puffs out her chest and tries to attack me. I’m worried she’ll attack my 5 year old son who loves them and feeds them daily. Is there something else I can do to get her to be friendly? Or should I be thinking about rehoming her?

I am not sure as to what your answer is but I purchased Orpingtons based on my research for my first backyard flock and that they would “supposedly” be the and I quote again “ the “golden retriever “ of the poultry species to have as a member of my flock that would be very very friendly and easy going with my kids and myself as the feeder and waterer or Mama of the flock to them and that they would also be so docile and easy to handle. Well I got mine from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio with only one catch. I got Black Orpingtons because they didn’t have any Buff due to the pandemic and everyone buying chicks like madmen. Well the demeanor and temperament is supposed to be the same. I got three Swedish Flower Hens and Three Creme Legbars also that are all six just as easy to handle as any young bird at ten weeks would be. The Orpingtons peck me first always and are half crazy at times when it comes to catching them. They go nuts and try to hurt themselves is what I mean and we handle these birds regularly and spend time with them. Petting them handling them, giving them treats, talking to them, taking them outside daily because they were in my house, screened in porch, then cooler basement due to heat extremes and induces warnings here. These Orps are still just crazy though at lots of weird times. My other girls have all learned to roost in their new coop at night on their own by the third night but these three kept staying down on the coop floor which is fine. I have it prepped and padded for them with lots of shavings very very thick and with PDZ but they are just stubborn. I am so pleased with my others but the Orpingtons are not what all the research and rave has been about so far. I wouldn’t blame you if you waited it out a bit but I also wouldn’t blame you if you rehomed her either. Either way good luck. If you have cold weather get some Flower hens. They are the sweetest ever.

 

[aart]

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

Thank you! I got nailed good today actually by one of my Creme Legbars at two different sessions in the morning feed and then when I went out for an afternoon checkup on them due to the heat today. I was adding colder water to their supply and giving them some more grain for the evening. They are eating more now as they are settling in more comfortably now so I am having to adjust their amounts daily. The same chick is enthralled with my muck boots. She keeps wanting to peer down inside them now that I am wearing shorts more outdoors where they can see the top of my legs and the top of the boots sticking out. She keeps wanting to try to hitch a ride and investigate but she always wants to peck me a few good times as if that’s her way of paying the train master first for the toll or something. Crazy birds.