Hen suddenly extremely aggressive.

[Anastatia_S]

Hennifer, my top hen has suddenly starting being very aggressive towards me for no apparent reason, but she is fine with everyone else. In the past couple of weeks she has started attacking my hands and arms and has been grabbing onto my trousers and kicking me with all of her feathers puffed. She has managed to draw blood a few times. I’m so confused as to why she has started with this behaviour. There has been no changes in her flock, no predator attacks, no new hens or anything. She was always the sweetest girl and would love to sit on my knee and have a nap. She was very affectionate and kind towards me but it’s like a switch flipped one day and now she’s set on attacking me whenever she gets the chance. I know it probably sounds stupid but I find it a bit upsetting. She used to be such a sweet girl and I loved when she would sit on my knee, it always calmed my anxiety and help relax my mind, and now I get scared to be around her.
If anyone has any advice or insight into what could be wrong, I’d greatly appreciate it.

 

[FunClucks]

Has your hen laid any eggs while you watched? Cause it sounds like "she" is a rooster to me that has matured and had a hormonal shift, hence the aggression.

You can try the suggestions on this site for behavior modifications for aggressive roosters, but they only work about half the time. I would cull if the behavior doesn't improve soon.

Don't let this one chicken spoil the chicken experience for you. This chicken could be an especial danger to children. You are not obligated to keep an animal that is attacking you.

 

[Anastatia_S]

Has your hen laid any eggs while you watched? Cause it sounds like "she" is a rooster to me that has matured and had a hormonal shift, hence the aggression.

You can try the suggestions on this site for behavior modifications for aggressive roosters, but they only work about half the time. I would cull if the behavior doesn't improve soon.

Don't let this one chicken spoil the chicken experience for you. This chicken could be an especial danger to children. You are not obligated to keep an animal that is attacking you.

She is 100% a hen. I have witnessed her laying many eggs. I did read that dominant hens can sometimes take over the role of a rooster in a flock without one. Do you think that could be a possibility?

 

[FunClucks]

She is 100% a hen. I have witnessed her laying many eggs. I did read that dominant hens can sometimes take over the role of a rooster in a flock without one. Do you think that could be a possibility?

Yup, if she's laying eggs for you, I'd say that's what has happened. However, many dominant hens can take on rooster traits and protect the rest of the flock without deciding you are a threat.

If you try the suggestions for retraining aggressive roosters and they don't work, I would recommend culling her. I know you love her, but your memories of her aren't who she is any more, and she is inflicting bodily injury upon you. Don't let this one hen mess up your joyful chicken keeping experience.

ETA - Cull doesn't always mean to kill. Since she's a laying hen, might be possible to rehome her somewhere with a larger flock, or a flock with roosters, and have her not be a problem to her next owner. Once there's an actual rooster or a different head hen, her behavior may improve.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds really strange. Anything is possible but that sounds unlikely. Not impossible but strange.

Can you describe what is going in when she attacks? Is it random, any time you enter the coop or run or at a certain time or place? During any specific activities? When you are handling her or other hens? Is there a certain trigger that sets her off. Are you wearing anything specific when it happens?

My first thought was that she may have gone broody. A broody should not attack you out of the blue, but if you are messing with her or her nest she can get vicious.

 

[Anastatia_S]

Sounds really strange. Anything is possible but that sounds unlikely. Not impossible but strange.

Can you describe what is going in when she attacks? Is it random, any time you enter the coop or run or at a certain time or place? During any specific activities? When you are handling her or other hens? Is there a certain trigger that sets her off. Are you wearing anything specific when it happens?

My first thought was that she may have gone broody. A broody should not attack you out of the blue, but if you are messing with her or her nest she can get vicious.

She attacks me any chance she gets, when I go into the garden when they’re free ranging or into their run before they go to bed. I can’t think of anything specific that could be making her be like this towards me. I’m not aware of any triggers. She isn’t currently broody. I’m completely baffled, this behaviour came out of the blue.

 

[Anastatia_S]

Yup, if she's laying eggs for you, I'd say that's what has happened. However, many dominant hens can take on rooster traits and protect the rest of the flock without deciding you are a threat.

If you try the suggestions for retraining aggressive roosters and they don't work, I would recommend culling her. I know you love her, but your memories of her aren't who she is any more, and she is inflicting bodily injury upon you. Don't let this one hen mess up your joyful chicken keeping experience.

ETA - Cull doesn't always mean to kill. Since she's a laying hen, might be possible to rehome her somewhere with a larger flock, or a flock with roosters, and have her not be a problem to her next owner. Once there's an actual rooster or a different head hen, her behavior may improve.

Thank you! I will try the methods and hope they work. It’d be a shame to have to rehome her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She attacks me any chance she gets, when I go into the garden when they’re free ranging or into their run before they go to bed. I can’t think of anything specific that could be making her be like this towards me. I’m not aware of any triggers. She isn’t currently broody. I’m completely baffled, this behaviour came out of the blue.

As I said, really strange. I could imagine a rooster doing that, it happens. The only thing I can think of is that she is the dominant hen and she wither sees you as a member of her flock and you need to obey her or she sees you as a threat to her dominance in the flock. Just like a dominant rooster.

What would you do if she were a rooster? Put up with it or get rid of her?

 

[3KillerBs]

My first thought was that she may have gone broody. A broody should not attack you out of the blue, but if you are messing with her or her nest she can get vicious.

That was my first thought because I have a girl who is a vicious biter when broody or when I mess with the nest while she's laying.

Is she only attacking your or is she being aggressive to the other chickens as well?

 

[Anastatia_S]

As I said, really strange. I could imagine a rooster doing that, it happens. The only thing I can think of is that she is the dominant hen and she wither sees you as a member of her flock and you need to obey her or she sees you as a threat to her dominance in the flock. Just like a dominant rooster.

What would you do if she were a rooster? Put up with it or get rid of her?

If she was a rooster I’d most likely try and put up with it. I get super attached to my animals and I’d rather not get rid of her, unless keeping her would affect her health or quality of life, if that makes sense.