I have 2 hens; a cochin and an australorp. They are about a year and a half old and grew up together. I got 3 new babies over the summer. They are 4 months old now. I've been slowly introducing them, and at this point, the 2 full grown hens stay in a cage inside the coop. and the 3 young ones have run of the coop. Most of the day I let the 2 big girls out and they have run of the yard. The coop is all wire except for the nesting boxes, so everyone can still see each other, even when the girls are in the yard.
In the mornings, I let the 2 big girls out and I feed them on the porch, and I feed the babies in the coop. I've noticed that over the past couple of weeks, my australorp will follow close behind me when I'm walking back and forth to house to get the water and feed for everyone. If I stop, she pecks my leg. Most of the time I'll pick her up and carry her to get her to stop. But this morning when i was carrying her, she pecked my lip!!!! Other than nipping at my leg during feeding time the past couple weeks, this is the first time she has ever pecked anyone! Up till now, she has been a super sweet hen. Lots of my friends have held her and loved on her, and I would bring her into the house sometimes to sit on my lap while watching tv. I handled her a lot growing up, because I like my chickens to be tame, and be great pets.
If there anything I can do to change her behavior?? Or is it once a hen goes bad, she is just bad and really shouldn't be trusted? I'm wondering if she is just mad at me because I brought in 3 new chickens? Do chickens get jealous? She hasn't started pecking at the cochin. If anything, the cochin is the dominate one. When they eat together, the cochin pecks at her. So I've had to give them their own little bowls because if they eat out of the same one, the cochin hardly lets her get a bite and she has to wait till she is done. The cochin is still sweat as pie to me! She still lets me love on her. I just don't understand why my australorp has gotten so mean at me all of sudden! Can anyone help? Thank you!
In the mornings, I let the 2 big girls out and I feed them on the porch, and I feed the babies in the coop. I've noticed that over the past couple of weeks, my australorp will follow close behind me when I'm walking back and forth to house to get the water and feed for everyone. If I stop, she pecks my leg. Most of the time I'll pick her up and carry her to get her to stop. But this morning when i was carrying her, she pecked my lip!!!! Other than nipping at my leg during feeding time the past couple weeks, this is the first time she has ever pecked anyone! Up till now, she has been a super sweet hen. Lots of my friends have held her and loved on her, and I would bring her into the house sometimes to sit on my lap while watching tv. I handled her a lot growing up, because I like my chickens to be tame, and be great pets.
If there anything I can do to change her behavior?? Or is it once a hen goes bad, she is just bad and really shouldn't be trusted? I'm wondering if she is just mad at me because I brought in 3 new chickens? Do chickens get jealous? She hasn't started pecking at the cochin. If anything, the cochin is the dominate one. When they eat together, the cochin pecks at her. So I've had to give them their own little bowls because if they eat out of the same one, the cochin hardly lets her get a bite and she has to wait till she is done. The cochin is still sweat as pie to me! She still lets me love on her. I just don't understand why my australorp has gotten so mean at me all of sudden! Can anyone help? Thank you!