Did I just get attacked by one of my Welsummer pullets?

[dashman1319]

Hi all,

So this feels like a new one, for me anyway. I have a mixed age group of mainly ~5 month old hens/roosters. I've raised Welsummers before and have them found them to be inquisitive, flighty, and sometimes rather nervous. I have two Welsummer hens in this group. One of them has been particularly social and curious and when I'm in the run lately, she often pecks at my pant legs. A started noticing a few days ago that when I gave my foot a gentle swoop in her direction to move her away, she stopped getting the point and leaving me alone but rather more or less holding her ground and continuing to peck. Just now I was out refilling food and she was following me closely - practically between my feet. She pecked several times and I kept gently nudging her aside. When I turned and walked away, I heard her little feet scampering and turned around just in time to see her grabbing on to the back of pant leg and really keeping a hold of it - sort of like how the roosters do when the grab the back of a hen's neck to mount them. When I gave a few gentle kicks backward to try and knock her off, she went in even harder! I had to reach around and take hold of her to remove her. Anyone dealt with this behavior from a pullet/hen before? Is it age related? I haven't seen her show any unusual aggression to the other pullets. Is this a dominance thing and, if so, should I respond the way I would with a rooster?

 

[Wezdin]

I had that happen once but it was along time ago and i kinda just put up with it. There was no rooster in my flock so I guess she thought she was protecting her flock from me . What has me confused is that she is with roosters and is therefore not the top dog. It does sound like an aggression thing to me, i would let her know you are the top dog.

 

[dashman1319]

What has me confused is that she is with roosters and is therefore not the top dog. It does sound like an aggression thing to me, i would let her know you are the top dog.

Right - we have two roosters and both are far more wary of me (and respectful of my personal space!) than this little hen.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I've never had this happen before, but it really does seem like aggression. I think if it were me, I would deal with her the same way you handle an aggressive cockerel.

 

[David61]

Just like Roo, grab her and dominate her. Hold her to the ground.
I had one of my girls pecking me to hard when hand feeding or other actions. I scared her as well as myself when I had her by the neck before ether of us knew it after a hard peck. She didn't try to move as I read her the riot act. She got the point as she takes things out of my hand very nice now.

 

[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.