Hen pecking me

[flock mommasan]

I've got a young (~15 weeks) blued red-laced wyandotte who sometimes becomes aggressive with me when I get near her. Admittedly it tends to happen when I reach toward her to pick her up. She'll turn toward me and peck my hand. She's always been the smallest of the new 4 chicks we've recently introduced to our existing flock of 8, but she stands her own ground with the other girls -- which is good. Anyway, my question is how to respond? I don't mind her assertiveness but don't want the aggression.

As a side note, we just returned from vacation to find our 17 week old Amberlink is sounding an awful lot like a rooster this morning! She's always been big but never made any rooster-like sounds so we figured she wasn't one despite her size/looks. Guess we were wrong!

 

[Stepnout]

Sounds like the 15 week bird is acting like a cockerel as well. Are you sure it’s a hen? Maybe post a few pictures of her full body side and top views.
I’m sure some folks will help out soon.

 

[flock mommasan]

I'm 99% she's a hen -- no crop to speak of. I'll try and get some pictures to post. I'm not good at getting the chickens to hold still!

Btw, we thought roosters would start trying to crow much sooner than 17 weeks.

 

[Folly's place]

Cockerels start crowing when they 'feel like it', anytime those first few months.
Pictures help!!!
If you are hand feeding, stop, and throw treats on the ground instead. If you can, peck her back, hard enough to be noticed. She can learn that you aren't a target, or another chicken, and aren't to be intimidated.
Mary

 

[flock mommasan]

This is Daffy the Amberlink. My husband says we should rename him to something manly like Conrad. Haha!

 

[flock mommasan]

For any GOT fans: when we thought he was a she I kind of referred to her as Brienne of Tarth since she was so much bigger than her cohorts!

And just for the record, I've been saying for quite a while that "she" looked/acted a lot like a "he." My DH insisted I wasn't right (he's the type who's always saying "it won't rain today" like he knows something the weather folks don't!). I do give him credit for admitting today that I was right all along!

 

[flock mommasan]

Cockerels start crowing when they 'feel like it', anytime those first few months.
Pictures help!!!
If you are hand feeding, stop, and throw treats on the ground instead. If you can, peck her back, hard enough to be noticed. She can learn that you aren't a target, or another chicken, and aren't to be intimidated.
Mary

I'll try that, although Daffy is pretty protective of his 3 girls so I'm thinking this might stir up some trouble. It certainly is interesting to watch the pecking order dynamics in the coop right now!

 

[Shadrach]

I've got a young (~15 weeks) blued red-laced wyandotte who sometimes becomes aggressive with me when I get near her. Admittedly it tends to happen when I reach toward her to pick her up. She'll turn toward me and peck my hand. She's always been the smallest of the new 4 chicks we've recently introduced to our existing flock of 8, but she stands her own ground with the other girls -- which is good. Anyway, my question is how to respond? I don't mind her assertiveness but don't want the aggression.

As a side note, we just returned from vacation to find our 17 week old Amberlink is sounding an awful lot like a rooster this morning! She's always been big but never made any rooster-like sounds so we figured she wasn't one despite her size/looks. Guess we were wrong!

I suggest you respond by not picking her up if she doesn't like it.
You don't need to pick her up. If you do need to give her a health check, do it at night. Lift her off the perch and check her over with a head torch.

 

[Folly's place]

I also don't handle my birds unless necessary, and then at night off the roosts. They are 'pets' too, but not carried around, just underfoot.
My cockerels and roosters don't challenge me in any way; it's just not happening here.
Mary

 

[flock mommasan]

I suggest you respond by not picking her up if she doesn't like it.
You don't need to pick her up. If you do need to give her a health check, do it at night. Lift her off the perch and check her over with a head torch.

Ah! Thanks for the suggestion! I always wondered how to do a health check on the chickens that really don't like to be picked up.