Can you break a hen of pecking and grabbing your fingers? Arg!

[Bellasmom]

She is broody but almost done with it so she is still incredibly cranky but I can't handle her without leather gloves now. She will actually grab the end of the glove and bite and squawk! And there is something that I need to look at down at the base of her tail!

At the base of her tail there is a longish, pale spike where my hubby thinks the other hen pulled a feather. I did find a feather in the nesting box so that may be true and while it looks ok, I want to get a pic and post it. But I'm telling you she even has my dh kinda

the way she acts and he's afraid of nothin'!

Any hints?

 

[speckledhen]

At the base of her tail is the oil gland. That's what you're seeing. A broody is a broody is a broody, LOL. They can bite!

 

[Mahlzeit]

Mine no longer bite or peck at me when I take them off the nest. At first they would puff up and growl and peck. But over time they realized that no matter how mean they got I was still going to pick them up and take them off the nest if I didn't want them hatching eggs. So now they don't put up a fuss at all. They are sort of like a dog in that if you hesitate when picking them up they can sense it and will strike. But if you just go in and do it you won't have as much of a problem. Atleast thats what I've observed.

 

[Davaroo]

Some wag has described the broody hen as a..."puffed up beach ball with a bad attitude and an icepick."

Im with mahlzeit - just keep on showing her who is boss. Be resolute and do what you gotta. If it takes gloves, well, so be it.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:

 

[speckledhen]

I've had mostly nice broodies, let us do anything we want with them, but my Blue Orp was a mean girl! She'd peck and peck hard.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Mine have growled and pecked, but normally I can go around behind them. However this last broody I had, she backed herself into the corner of the nest box where there was no going around her. It was darn near impossible to get the eggs from under her. If she goes broody again, into a pet carrier she goes. Her and her little eggs too.

 

[Bellasmom]

Thanks! My nesting area opens to the back so I'm able to get to the back of her and lift her up but not before she growls, hisses and bites!

I just keep picking her now and you are right now that I'm not as timid she is getting better but whew, she can be a biddy!