Hen with a bad attitude, wavering on what to do

[ButtonquailGirl14]

what breed is she? also, sorry. I didn't realize she was perposely breaking eggs or killing chicks.

if she is that is not your fault. sorry, I am a little Grumpy because my neighbor just killed the sweetest animal they owned and I just hated to see her go

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

if she is that is not your fault. sorry, I am a little Grumpy because my neighbor just killed the sweetest animal they owned and I just hated to see her go

I'm sorry...u OK?

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I'm sorry...u OK?

yeah. it just is most peoples mentality and I am a softie.. it just seems like they always butcher the wrong animals. but I guess it is the country way of life (for most people) I know we have to provide food, but to me I would keep that special animal I am just not cut out for butchering the animals that I raise (I would only do it if I had too) hopefully I never will

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I've got a hen that is causing a few problems. She's head hen and has no problem letting the others know. So far she has not caused any injury to any older birds or shown any bully behavior.

The problems happen in the next boxes. When she needs to lay an egg she always wants to lay in a box another hen is using, even if 6 other boxes are open. She pushes them out and in the tussle many eggs have been broken. She pushed a broody out of her nest to lay and cracked a developing egg, killing the chick inside. A while back she got the urge to brood and stole another broody's nest. I removed the trouble maker and put her in broody jail. Unfortunately the sitting broody, who had been there for over 2 weeks, abandoned her nest and all the eggs died.

I don't want her to brood because I can't even image how much worse she'd be with chicks to protect. Trouble maker was in broody jail for 2 days. I let her out and she went right for another broody's nest (yes I've had a bunch go broody this year). I put her right back in jail. She was there for almost a week. Yesterday morning I checked her and she wasn't puffed up any more and seemed normal so I let her out. I watched for about 30 minutes and she was running around eating treats with the others. I had to leave for work. I came home to find her in the other broody's nest again along with two dead chicks.

If the only problem was broken eggs it wouldn't be so bad but she has now caused the deaths of at least 3 chicks. She has a terrible attitude, always has. She is the only one in the flock (except for protective broodies) that has ever pecked or bitten me. Honestly, I don't really like her. On the flip side, she is still young at just over 2 years and is a beautiful Splash Laced Red Wyandotte. Some of my flock are more like pets but others are livestock; she falls in the later category. I've got some extra cockerels that will need processing soon so I could do her at the same time. I'm struggling on what to do with her. I think I'd like to cull her but I'm just not completely sure about it.

I won’t be culling any of mine, but if I did to put super on the table, I would definitely get rid of a troublemaker and put her to good use

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

yeah. it just is most peoples mentality and I am a softie.. it just seems like they always butcher the wrong animals. but I guess it is the country way of life (for most people) I know we have to provide food, but to me I would keep that special animal I am just not cut out for butchering the animals that I raise (I would only do it if I had too) hopefully I never will

I'm sorry, I'm pretty soft hearted too but a lot of people try to be more self-sufficent, and that includes butchering livestock. I threw up the first time I butchered extra cockerels but its gotten easier...there are a few I wouldn't touch tho...my favs

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

@lomine NONE of this is your fault

 

[Birds of a Feather]

@lomine NONE of this is your fault

I agree.

 

[lomine]

what breed is she? also, sorry. I didn't realize she was perposely breaking eggs or killing chicks.

She's a Wyandotte. They are supposed to be gentle and calm but she has never been. The two cockerels I raised that I know for sure were from her were also jerks.

if she is that is not your fault. sorry, I am a little Grumpy because my neighbor just killed the sweetest animal they owned and I just hated to see her go

I understand. I've got birds in my flock that have earned a place for life. I've got my 3 starter ducks that I couldn't/wouldn't cull. They are my little duck-ducks. But one of my reasons for raising chickens and ducks is for the meat. I don't like killing but for me it serves a very important purpose so I can understand why sometimes even the sweetest animals have to go. Some people don't have the option to keep animals solely as pets.

 

[danceswithronin]

wow... that's a nice attitude. well.. who needs this chicken to live, there are plenty more in the world..

I don't really see the difference between culling (either butchering or giving away) a nasty-tempered hen versus doing the same thing to a nasty-tempered rooster, which is pretty much the standard MO for most people who keep a flock of chickens. As to giving away a mean hen, why would I want to pass my animal's behavioral problem along to someone else and disrupt their flock too?

OP's hen has killed three chicks and destroyed an entire nest of fertile eggs that were being cared for by a much better-tempered broody. And she bites OP. I personally would not put up with any chicken in my flock killing chicks or injuring other chickens, period. Especially if the hen was aggressive towards me, too. I'm not going to tolerate aggression in a rooster, and I won't tolerate it in a hen either.

 

[Myrth]

I have eaten many Roos. I have never had a hen like what you describe, but if I did I would get out the cone and research recipes for coq au vin. I would not rehome a bird like that. She breaks eggs and is aggressive. No one would want that in their layer flock, and at 2 years old, her egg production is going to decrease. As coq au vin she will be very tasty and feed your family.