Hen Behaving Badly

[chiclet]

Quote:
She's an old english. And she's been this way for months! She's not going to hurt anyone; she's only as big as my foot, for gosh sakes, but i worry about her biting the kids in the yard, and making them afraid of chickens. Right now she might be nasty because she's molting, and looking pretty ratty around her head...
I'm gonna try picking her up by her neck for a while. I might tape it, just so you all can see her response.
thanks

 

[True Grit]

I would just be concerned about injuring her or her injuring herself that way. I poke mine back and pick em up but not by their necks.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
Any sentient being or being with a personality can have a bad day. I know I'm not always in a good mood, and frankly, there are people I'd LOVE to get aggressive with. ( saw a t-shirt today that said it all: A spazzed-out looking cartoon character holding a baseball bat says, "I wish you were a pinata". !! That being said, is it so horrible for our chickens/ducks/cats/dogs/horses or whatever to express aggression when they want to be left alone, OR when hormones are on the rise? I'd say it all depends on whether she STAYS aggressive, what the circumstances were at the time (is she coming into laying phase? hormones could be at work. Is there a newcomer or any changes in the flock dynamics? Any feed changes? Overcrowding? Molting? pests like lice or mites at work? ANY of these could cause a chicken to act aggressive or "out of sorts" . It also may just be that she's challenging your authority. That doesn't mean it's a genetic trait that would be passed on. IMHO, it's WAY too soon to start thinking "crock pot" or culling.

I agree.