California - Northern

[farmhand]

Quote: I can not comment concerning your above issue, only to say that I have found their phone customer service to be very good. I would buy again from them.

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Yes, she's young, but she's been laying for a few months now I think. She's so mean, I do try picking her up and that calms her down, but it doesn't stop the problem because the next day she's back to attacking me.

 

[farmhand]

Any tips on dealing with an aggressive hen? She is horribly mean, she attacks me almost every day when I go near the coop/run. I'm about ready to feed her to the dog, honestly. She just now bit me so hard that I think I am going to have a red mark, and I was wearing thick jeans when she did it! I kicked her and she came right back and attacked me again. She once grabbed hold of my sweatshirt and wouldn't let go until I picked her up and threw her away from me. I'm sick of having to defend myself against a nasty hen. Any tips so that I don't have to kill her?

You'll get lots of different and good advice here. I personally would remove any bird that acts up as soon as I can. It effects the whole flock. There is a large sub-culture of economically challenged people in my area that are very happy to take care of this problem for me if I don't feel like butchering a bird. My bad apple goes away, they get dinner.

 

[ronott1]

Yes, she's young, but she's been laying for a few months now I think. She's so mean, I do try picking her up and that calms her down, but it doesn't stop the problem because the next day she's back to attacking me.

Yes, rehome her.

 

[tommysgirl]

Any tips on dealing with an aggressive hen? She is horribly mean, she attacks me almost every day when I go near the coop/run. I'm about ready to feed her to the dog, honestly. She just now bit me so hard that I think I am going to have a red mark, and I was wearing thick jeans when she did it! I kicked her and she came right back and attacked me again. She once grabbed hold of my sweatshirt and wouldn't let go until I picked her up and threw her away from me. I'm sick of having to defend myself against a nasty hen. Any tips so that I don't have to kill her?

I know you said you have picked her up, but have you carried her around? If you carry her around for about 10 minutes into unfamiliar territory it may help her see who is boss also when you put her down put your hand on her back and hold her down firmly then ruffle her feathers and release her when she relaxes...like "pinning " a dog who doesn't know his place. It may also work to stick her in a dog crate with food and water for a couple of days. What breed is she? is it characteristic? maybe go on the breed forum and find out what others would advise.

You'll get lots of different and good advice here. I personally would remove any bird that acts up as soon as I can. It effects the whole flock. There is a large sub-culture of economically challenged people in my area that are very happy to take care of this problem for me if I don't feel like butchering a bird. My bad apple goes away, they get dinner.

That sounds like a great thing to do. I like the idea of making sure it goes to people who can really use it.

 

[ronott1]

I can not comment concerning your above issue, only to say that I have found their phone customer service to be very good. I would buy again from them.

Incubator warehouse is good. GQF is the one that does not give me the part number via email.

It is probably GQF that will not let others sell the replacement parts. I will try calling them early in the morning. They close at 5 Eastern time so they are closed when I get off from work. I did try calling on the holiday but they were closed too.

 

[lawatt]

Yes, she's young, but she's been laying for a few months now I think. She's so mean, I do try picking her up and that calms her down, but it doesn't stop the problem because the next day she's back to attacking me.

i've got one that doesn't attack ME, but goes after any other chicken she can get near -- i've got her staying in her own pen for a little while to see if she calms down, but boy! where does that mean streak even come from? all the time she was growing up as a chick/teen, she got along with others fine -- now close to POL and chasing everyone in sight.

on a cheerier note, i came home from work to find one marans egg hatching, chick is almost out of the shell already (these are from my own birchen pair), and one of the 13 remaining isbar eggs is pipping -- and tomorrow is Day 21! so hoping at least a few more will follow...

 

[ronott1]

i've got one that doesn't attack ME, but goes after any other chicken she can get near -- i've got her staying in her own pen for a little while to see if she calms down, but boy! where does that mean streak even come from? all the time she was growing up as a chick/teen, she got along with others fine -- now close to POL and chasing everyone in sight.

on a cheerier note, i came home from work to find one marans egg hatching, chick is almost out of the shell already (these are from my own birchen pair), and one of the 13 remaining isbar eggs is pipping -- and tomorrow is Day 21! so hoping at least a few more will follow...

Hatching chicks!

 

[PetRock]

So you let the chicks hatch in cut up egg cartons in plastic container? They don't have to be on their side with free movement?

This is my 3rd year hatching and I've hatched all of them that way except for one time when I had borrowed an R-com incubator where they incubated on their sides. I didn't have a very good hatch that time but I was hatching them for someone and we transported them to my house halfway through the process. I may try hatching on their sides one time later this spring just to see how it compares. The chicks love the egg cartons. They hatch out and then sit in any unoccupied hole. This last hatch, the first one out spent most of his/her time sitting in a cup watching the other ones hatch. I was starting to worry about him because he wasn't walking around like the other ones. But he is fat, happy, and active!

 

[PetRock]

on a cheerier note, i came home from work to find one marans egg hatching, chick is almost out of the shell already (these are from my own birchen pair), and one of the 13 remaining isbar eggs is pipping -- and tomorrow is Day 21! so hoping at least a few more will follow...

Yeah!!!! Go, chickies, go!!!