Chicken nipping at me- trying to be a rooster...?

[ErinLeah]

Hello! I have four hens who are about nine months old. Whenever I reached down to pet three of them the fourth stretches her neck then runs at me and starts to nip at me. She seriously almost draws blood- she’s a giant lavender Orphington. I usually brush her aside with my foot when she does it but now I’m going to start training her like a dog I guess- saying NO loudly and push her away? ? I read some of the other posts on here about this but I feel like she really is trying to protect the flock and thinks that I am threatening the other hens when I try to pet them or pick them up. My other birds are seriously mellow and very calm when I pick them up or pet them but she loses it! What to do? Is this normal? She has flown up to my shoulder before during one of these episodes...pics of her below.

 

[50-45-1]

Wow, she is a pretty girl.
Yes indeed your alpha hen has taken the job of flock protector. Wonderfull!
I think I would spend my time holding her and calming her down.
Be prepared with a pocket full of sunflower seeds, raisins or some small treet to share.
You will win her over.

 

[aart]

now I’m going to start training her like a dog I guess- saying NO loudly and push her away?

This might help....coupled with pecking her back....

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.