help, what should i do about my aggressive hen

[Rose the Legbar]

I have a almost year old Opal Legbar and she is just getting out of her molting. I normally love to open the run door and say hello to everyone. I usually pick up little wood chips off the ground and throw it as they love the chase things. But for 5 days now I have been unable to do so as my Opal Legbar aggressively fluffs up her neck, stands super tall, and pecks me. She also has jumped and scratched my hands a few times. Only once has she drawn blood, but this was before her molt. She still allows me to pick her up, although she makes very pissed off chicken noises at me. I’ve also noticed while looking at her that her once small nubs on her ankles have started to grow. They are about twice the size of what they were before her molt.

Just to note, she hasn’t laid a egg in over 6 months, 5 months before the molt started. It wasn’t a full molt, she just lost all her tail feathers and her neck feathers for a while.

Also another thing to note, she has always tried to go after my fingers and peck them. It hasn’t been like “Ooh, what’s this?” light taps, but full force I’m trying to rip your skin off bites.

I really would hate to get rid of her as I do dearly love her and her personality (well, the personality that isn’t the “I’m going to end you” one). Hopefully there is something that I can do to make her less aggressive.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a almost year old Opal Legbar and she is just getting out of her molting. I normally love to open the run door and say hello to everyone. I usually pick up little wood chips off the ground and throw it as they love the chase things. But for 5 days now I have been unable to do so as my Opal Legbar aggressively fluffs up her neck, stands super tall, and pecks me. She also has jumped and scratched my hands a few times. Only once has she drawn blood, but this was before her molt. She still allows me to pick her up, although she makes very pissed off chicken noises at me. I’ve also noticed while looking at her that her once small nubs on her ankles have started to grow. They are about twice the size of what they were before her molt.

Just to note, she hasn’t laid a egg in over 6 months, 5 months before the molt started. It wasn’t a full molt, she just lost all her tail feathers and her neck feathers for a while.

Also another thing to note, she has always tried to go after my fingers and peck them. It hasn’t been like “Ooh, what’s this?” light taps, but full force I’m trying to rip your skin off bites.

I really would hate to get rid of her as I do dearly love her and her personality (well, the personality that isn’t the “I’m going to end you” one). Hopefully there is something that I can do to make her less aggressive.

Is she aggressive towards the other hens?

 

[Rose the Legbar]

I forgot to add:

They eggs she laid always were rotten inside and smelled absolutely horrible.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

Is she aggressive towards the other hens?

She somewhat bullies my lower hen by chasing her around the run. She gets into bigger fights with the lead hen (neck fluffing up, kicking, pecking, ect.).

 

[Shadrach]

Reads like she wants to be top hen and if you're in the hierachy in her eyes then you need putting in your place as well.
I don't think it's anything to worry about unless she turns out to be a male and you aren't allowed them. Otherwise keep your hands away from her beak and claws and let her get on with it.

 

[Mrs. K]

If she always lays rotten eggs, and she is attacking you...just what is there to like?

I would cull her. I don't see anything that you can do that will change this.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

If she always lays rotten eggs, and she is attacking you...just what is there to like?

I would cull her. I don't see anything that you can do that will change this.

I couldn’t bring myself to cull her, or know that someone else did it for me. She may be doing this as one of her flockmates passed away around two weeks before this started happening. Could this maybe be a temporary thing until the flock dynamics get back into order?

 

[CoopBoots]

I forgot to add:

They eggs she laid always were rotten inside and smelled absolutely horrible.

Her rooster-ish behavior (and the spur growth you mentioned) may be hormonal imbalances related to this reproductive problem. Can you describe the rotten eggs in more detail? I suspect they might actually be lash eggs (lots of posts on these if you'd like more info) which point to possible internal infection.

 

[nuthatched]

I forgot to add:

They eggs she laid always were rotten inside and smelled absolutely horrible.

It sounds like a horrible infection in the reproduction tract that's causing a hormone imbalance. If she's always been like this, it will likely get worse and there's likely nothing you can do.
Putting her down might be a kindness.

 

[Mrs. K]

No I don't think it is a flock interaction problem. I do think it is an illness and that she might be in pain, pain causes things to be crabby.

I would give her the coup de grace.