Bully chicken- seriously evil

[ChicKat]

I am getting a 12 week old cockerel, a Rhode Island Red to breed with my layers.Lady on Craigslist had him for free, she got two "sexed" reds for laying and they are cockerels. I am giving her 2 mixed pullets , feel sorry for her. I hope he is old enough that my 3 comets don't bully him. Comets are great layers and smaller tan the NH reds or Orpingtons but they are mean birds.

The golden comet I had was the nicest, sweetest bird ever to walk the earth. She was top hen -- but she never even needed to peck another in the bunch -- all she had to do was give them 'the LOOK' - she was so SMART, and so funny, and so SWEET, and every day --just like clockwork she laid a JUMBO brown egg. -- I haven't ever seen of or heard of a nicer chicken. I don't think she had a mean bone in her body. (Just another viewpoint I guess, this time on behalf of the Comet)

 

[Calomel]

It's not mean because it's the boss, but it might be the boss because it's mean. Plenty of dominant hens and roosters are gentle and don't use violence to rule over their subordinates --- they're dominant because they're smarter, healthier, older than the ones they dominate, or whatever the reason is. But vicious birds can also become dominant despite being unfit to breed, just because they're more harmful than any other bird in the flock wants to be.

This makes so much sense. We have a barred rock pullet who is so much more aggressive than the other chickens that she bullies the youngest 4 into the henhouse and won't let them out for food or water. We've tried removing her once for about a week, put her back and within 2 days everything was the same as it had been before we removed her. I've removed her again, this time will be a week and a half, and if she doesn't get a clue and play nice, I'll have to give her away or hopefully trade her for another pullet.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Thanks! I've put a few noses out of joint by having a different opinion, so I was thinking to remove the last part since it didn't seem to be helping... But I guess some folks will be offended and others won't no matter what I do so I may as well leave it.


Quote: My top hen's the same. She gives even turkeys the 'look' and they back off. No violence required. She's only the size of a pigeon, a little banty mix. But a great hen.

It's interesting you note your Comet is nice whereas another person notes Comets are mean. This is an important thing I think a lot of people miss because they've been taught all breeds are a certain way, like chickens are carbon copy clones. But they're individuals and more a product of their recent ancestor's environment than their full breed's history. Therefore no breed is able to be labelled as 'nasty' or 'nice' per se --- it all differs.

About any breed or cross breed (Comets, etc) being inherently violent or placid: this is not true. The latest few generations matter more than the whole breed's history. It's much easier and faster to breed bad traits in than good ones. Breeds that are normally raised with artificial incubation and rearing, with the genders kept segregated, etc, often have terrible social skills and are the primary culprits for cannibalism, mutilation and killing of other birds, baby killing, egg eating, etc. These have become hereditary traits we have bred into some breeds. If we breed out their instincts for the natural family group and natural rearing of chicks, what are we replacing them with? All too often, something negative.

But if people put in the time and effort a good few years could breed it out again, though natural care would be necessary --- natural breeding not artificial insemination, hatching and rearing chicks with the mother and a mixed flock of both genders and all ages in place, and so forth. Intensive production commercial breeds from large hatcheries are some of the most troublesome birds in all ways.

 

[3 NH reds]

I see the domination game in every hatch of My meat birds. The new rangers get beat by the ones two months older and they were beat by the birds two months older. Now my Comet egg layers were from a hatchery and never saw a rooster till later in life. Is that why they are mean? I will never know. Comets are smart, they are the first to figure things out like the nipple waterers or chasing down horse flies

 

[ChicKat]

I see the domination game in every hatch of My meat birds. The new rangers get beat by the ones two months older and they were beat by the birds two months older. Now my Comet egg layers were from a hatchery and never saw a rooster till later in life. Is that why they are mean? I will never know. Comets are smart, they are the first to figure things out like the nipple waterers or chasing down horse flies

Yep, I agree how smart they are...and all chickens for that matter smarter than we often give them credit.

 

[ChicKat]

Thanks! I've put a few noses out of joint by having a different opinion, so I was thinking to remove the last part since it didn't seem to be helping... But I guess some folks will be offended and others won't no matter what I do so I may as well leave it.


My top hen's the same. She gives even turkeys the 'look' and they back off. No violence required. She's only the size of a pigeon, a little banty mix. But a great hen.

What if people considered that opinions differing from their own were of value...wouldn't that be an interesting world?

Kind of with chickens and with people -- sometimes the ones that don't kick up a big fuss -- are the ones that are the true leaders.

OH -- I remember now too, when I first brought home two POL Barred Plymouth Rock pullets and my Golden Comet -- they were in a totally unknown and new environment - and the Golden Comet being a mature hen -- did kind of guard the food and water for herself. But I put in another feeding and watering station - so suddenly 'abundance' and less need to be so territorial - everyone ate, everyone drank, everyone was happy. Then they all became best buddies. -- so not only breed characteristics, and not only their incubator/hatchery raising, but also the immediate environment they are in - and how they size things up will affect their behaviors.

 

[McIntosh2019]

When I had an aggressive chicken, I got a HUGE box full of shredded newspaper and some food and water, put her in it, and then placed chicken wire over it and tied it so she couldn't get it off. She will know that she is punished, and chickens aren't the smartest birds, so when she see's your other chickens, they will ALL be confused. If that doesn't work, I wouold rehome her; Mean chickens really aren't worth your time and effort.

Hope I helped!!!!!!

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: I agree. The calmer leader is the one of greater value in my opinion. I won't keep an alpha rooster or hen who incites agitation or fear among its subordinates. Not that spacky ones tend to become alphas, interestingly.

Regarding people who aren't open to someone having a different opinion, I ought to start noticing which ones they are, because they tend to segregate themselves with a few old buddies and savage anyone who they disagree with. The warning signs are there, I've just got to pay attention; if they're closed-minded, I should just avoid conversing with them. Never leads anywhere good. Often they find people to disagree with who aren't even talking to them, though.

Sadly a lot of folks I know become intellectual hermits after a certain age, which they've been taught is pre-determined as the age of either knowing it all or being unable to change or learn anything new. They just assume that's how it has to be and so they fulfill that concept without challenging it. People limiting their own potential is saddening. I find old folks who are as inquisitive as they were when young very inspiring. Some people just keep on squeezing the most out of life.

Quote: Agree, also. The immediate environment is what shapes what their offspring will be like, as they change in response to it. Some behavioral issues may persist for a lifetime though, which is one thing I cull for but some chooks really do grow to their best potential when introduced to a better environment. I have had hatchery chooks who changed to a huge degree when kept as naturally as possible. They ceased negative behaviors, developed much more intelligence than they arrived with (as POL Pullets), and some even went on to be good mothers and produce well-behaved daughters. Other hens from the same hatchery and genetics kept on normal pellet diets in cages remained the sub-par birds they were most likely to be, due to not having the extra nutrition, freeranging and lifestyle opportunities mine had. Every positive makes a huge difference. If any of my hatchery birds had been chronic bullies though I wouldn't have given them the chance.

Quote: I think all that does is change where she is on the social ladder, which is a proven way to manage some bullies for those who prefer to keep rather than cull them. Chicken's intelligence levels vary, and some are intelligent enough to train to do tricks. Others really are quite low in intelligence and without help they can't figure their way out of a cage they've been allowed to walk in and out of every single day of their lives.

If you feed them kelp it will boost their IQ and solve a lot of social issues. Smart chooks do not bully, interestingly. They're just not inclined to violence. The dumber your chooks are the more likely they are to be violent, in my experience. Kelp is a complete nutrient source which not only makes them smarter and healthier, but also makes them calmer because even when the population density is quite high, they won't stress over it and become violent as long as they're receiving enough nutrience. Normal 'complete feeds' are actually utterly basic survival rations which induces a sort of desperation in them which leads to violence in the drive to reduce population because their complete nutrition needs are not being met. Animals can live with malnutrition for a long time, many years, before dying of its diseases.

Even with very intelligent animals, getting them to understand that they're being punished is one of the hardest things. Often all they perceive is that they're being attacked for something or that they've become trapped or stuck in isolation; no reason why is comprehended. However if it works for you, why not? Each to their own. best wishes.

 

[ChicKat]

chooks4life--

Kelp, I hadn't thought of kelp. How do you feed it to them. I have some Nori Sushi wrappers up at the house. I wonder if they would eat that. I can clearly see how it would give them a lot of nutrients.

 

[cluck cluck 123]

get peeper and just clip them on her and she won't be able to peck them.