Our 7 pullets are 2.5 months old, and it's looking like their pecking order is pretty well established. They're a mix of Barred Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes, a Dominique, a bantam BR and an Easter Egger. Lily, the EE, is the biggest and most mature (making hen noises while the others are still moving from whistles and peeps) and definitely herds the others around. She is also somewhat aggressive toward me, which has me worried. I don't want to be attacked by my chicken. A couple of days ago I tried holding her down, but must not have done it long enough or effectively because it seemed to make her madder, not more docile. Today I picked her up in my lap and stroked her. In return, she pecked my hand and arm, then when that didn't work, she turned the other way and pecked me in the face. Ouch! Clearly, she needs to see me as bigger and stronger. I've read about working with roosters to establish a person as alpha roo. Should I try the same techniques with our evil EE?
According to my senior hen, the way to establish dominance is to yank on the others' wattles. I'm guessing that's not practical for you! I'd suggest the rooster-taming tricks, which I would try on my rooster myself if I could ever catch the little twerp.
my girls frequently peck at me, but usually at moles or stuff on my skin or shirt or pants. they do a good bit of 'making the nest' when they sit on me though and that requires a lot of tugging at the shirttails and pants or whatever is in their reach and scratching and all that goofy stuff. maybe she is just doing some of that. or you could do what i sometimes do and just poke them back or tug at their tail feathers, they tend to understand their own language
I have a chicken who is totally at the bottom of the pecking order. she is constantly getting her butt pecked by the others. I have been doing alot of work inside the run lately, and she follows me around. I was trying to give her special treats because I felt sorry for her. Then, I dropped a screw. I went to pick it up and the little brat bit me several times. So I picked her up and carried her around for a few minutes. Today, she did it again. First I pulled her tail a little bit, but that didnt work. She had herself puffed up trying to look tough. So I picked her up again, held her real close. I didnt tug on her watles, but I was touching them. I'll let ya know tomorrow if it worked. LOL
Pick her up and hold her in your lap again. Wait for the first peck, when she does it grab her beak and hold it for about 30 seconds. Repeat this everytime she pecks you. It usually only takes a few times of this to stop the pecking.
Yup - What rooster-Red said I have a BO hen and Ameraucana hen that used to peck to warn me off. A loud "No" and a grabbed beak worked for the both of them. They're eyes changed from mad to Uh Oh in a split second. They were quick studies...lol.
Good ideas. This particular pullet is my son's, so I don't want to have to get rid of her. I'll give 'em a try, but I'm probably 'chicken' enough to wear gloves for a while. I trained a hamster to stop nibbling, but I wore gloves for a very long time just in case. Even exploratory nibbles (or pecks) hurt!
