Hen has taken on role of rooster and is attacking me!

[dweder]

I have a crazy hen that has taken on the role of rooster, since my flock is rooster-less. She started by attacking the rake when I clean out the run, then it moved to her biting me when I touch any of the other hens. Now it is pretty much anytime I walk into the coop! I know there are techniques for roosters, but has anyone had success with fixing a HEN with this problem?

Thanks!
Danielle

 

[theoldchick]

Like aggressive roosters, aggressive hens need to be culled.

 

[donrae]

Dominance is dominance, regardless of gender. Either you're dominant to her, or she is to you. Right now, she is to you. I would do the same thing for an aggressive rooster, which is pretty definite here with a sharp learing curve on the second offense.

 

[mariel37]

Donrae -

What is it you do on the second offense?

I have a Silver Cuckoo Maran rooster in with all our hens. He has fluffed up at me in the past a couple times, and I grab him and carry him around a while. He stops.

This past week he has fluffed at me and appeared aggressive. I carry a walking stick which fixes it pretty quick.

I am wondering if he can tell my foot has been injured (dog accident - 90 pounds of dog running and side checked me by accident) - and he is taking the opportunity to try dominance with me, since I can't chase him down right now?

Am I giving too much intelligence? I happen to think most animals are quite intuitive ...

He has been a good rooster over all. Good to the hens, doesn't try to attack my husband or sons ...

what's up do you think?

- Beth

 

[donrae]

First sign of aggression, I make the bird think I'm going to kill him. Kicking, yelling, chasing, etc.

Second sign of aggression, I follow through and kill him. Like I said, sharp learning curve.

 

[griffinkid02]

I would be interested in hearing other peoples Ideas on this as well. I have two RIR roosters which have always been just as sweet as could be, but I got quasi attacked for the first time this weekend. Granted it was an unusual circumstance (I normally am not actually inside the coop with them, as it's a smaller "all-in-one" style coop. But I was fixing the rack that their grit and oyster dishes hang from and had crawled halfway up in with them.) While working I got bonked on the head with a wing When I turned to look, the offending rooster took several steps away and immediately cowed down into a submissive posture. I noticed that the other rooster and hen was were both flapping their wings in "cooling off" gesture as it was about 85 degrees and the humidity was at lead 80%. Thinking that it was a case of careless flapping I went back to work. Just as soon as I turn away, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the same roo jump up in the air and he raked the side of my face with one of his feet. THAT was on purpose. So I proceeded to give him the screaming cuss storm he deserved and flat palm slapped him in the breast clean across to the other side of the pen. (For those of you wondering. he didn't break the skin, there was no actual force behind his attack, I think he was asking himself if it was a good idea even while he was doing it. Also, don't fear for his health, it didn't take as much force as I would have LIKED to use to send him flying. He limped and tried to play the sympathy card for about 10 minutes and then realized that I was TRULY ticked and went to go hid in the corner.) Today I was down there and he he kept a low profile, keeping the other two birds between us at all times and waiting till I was done inside the pen before he even came over to eat. But I'm sure this won't be the last time I have to remind the birds who the REAL rooster is.