It's true, I hate my chick :(

[bellz15]

I'm raising 3 chicks, two wyandottes and a wellsummer, they're all about 6 weeks right now. I've spent HEAPS of time with them, nearly an hour or more most days for 5 weeks straight. The wyandottes are extremely sweet, loving and comfortable with me. They're also polite and happily feed side by side. The wellsummer however is a tyrant. She jumps on the other two, pushes them off perches and shoves them out of the way of food (my poor gold laced gives up trying) . She hates me, making a scene if I so much as go close. She tries to peck me in the eye regularly and succeeded once, and I swear she looks at me like she wants me to burn in the fiery pits of hell.

She's always been like this, but I treated her for pasty butt at about 2 weeks (it took less than 5 mins) and I'm wondering if she still remembers that and hates me because of it. I've read that wellsummers are extremely friendly and wyandottes are meant to be the bullies. I just keep telling myself 'think of the pretty eggs she'll lay'!

Is it uncommon to get rid of a perfectly good hen because of their turd-ish personality? Will she grow out of it? Thanks in advance.

 

[bellz15]

I know this is a super late update and maybe no one will see this - but here's the update on my Welsummer...

The Cretin is a.. HE.

It's insane how different he looks now.

I was convinced that it was a female, due to the 'unmistakeable' dark stripe on it's head and dark 'eyeliner'. I guess that batch of chicks didn't have the sex linked gene? Is that possible/common for welsummers?

Anyway he's now hanging out at the family farm with a bunch of australorps until he's big enough for Christmas dinner. It's looking like my wyandotte chicks are both hens- which would make me very lucky since they are my dream chickens

Thanks everyone for your help with this!

 

[ValerieJ]

I had a chick like that a couple years ago. I called her Butthead because she was so mean to the other chicks. Eventually "she" started to crow and I figured out what the problem was. He was never a nice rooster, but he made a delicious broth.

 

[PirateGirl]

"tries to Peck eyes when she is on our shoulders."

See, this is where differences in handling come into play. Personally, I'd never in a million years try to put a chicken on my shoulders, especially one that tries to peck eyes, that one would forever be on the ground. Everyone's handling is different and expectations of their chickens is different. Be prepared to change your expectations of your chickens based on their different personalities.

 

[bellz15]

So to those who wondered if maybe Summer/ The Cretin was a little roo, here she is at 6 weeks. Unfortunately no side profile here but she still has her striped head marking and completely yellow comb.

Here she is pondering her next eye-peck attempt:

Here she is insulting her wyandotte siblings 'You look fat in those feathers, Golden.':

Here she is possessed by a demon:

 

[DobieLover]

I'm raising 3 chicks, two wyandottes and a wellsummer, they're all about 6 weeks right now. I've spent HEAPS of time with them, nearly an hour or more most days for 5 weeks straight. The wyandottes are extremely sweet, loving and comfortable with me. They're also polite and happily feed side by side. The wellsummer however is a tyrant. She jumps on the other two, pushes them off perches and shoves them out of the way of food (my poor gold laced gives up trying) . She hates me, making a scene if I so much as go close. She tries to peck me in the eye regularly and succeeded once, and I swear she looks at me like she wants me to burn in the fiery pits of hell.

She's always been like this, but I treated her for pasty butt at about 2 weeks (it took less than 5 mins) and I'm wondering if she still remembers that and hates me because of it. I've read that wellsummers are extremely friendly and wyandottes are meant to be the bullies. I just keep telling myself 'think of the pretty eggs she'll lay'!

Is it uncommon to get rid of a perfectly good hen because of their turd-ish personality? Will she grow out of it? Thanks in advance.

After I finished drying my tears of laughter, I can now respond!!
Her personality will change somewhat when she reaches sexual maturity.
Unfortunately, chickens are individual and their personalities don't always conform to what is documented as standard.
I have two Welsummers and two Wyandottes, one silver laced and one gold laced. They are just shy of 11 weeks old. I can touch the GLW, but that's it. The SLW, Alecia, enjoys jumping into my lap and will allow me to pet her a little, but her full name is Alecia the Finger Pecker. Boy does she love that!
One Welsummer, Lola, is a sweetie and will allow me to pick her up, put her on my lap and pet her. Lola had a case of pasty butt and constipation I dealt with when she was a week old but she did not hold it against me when I cleaned her up. My second Welsummer, is Torvi, named after a viking shield maiden as she is a holy terror to the others. That's just way the personalities laid out.
I do not force contact with my chicks. I would sit on the floor in the coop when they were about the age yours are now and allow them to run across and jump up on my legs at their will. I would offer them treats and let them come to me or not.
Your little tyrant may soften but it just sounds like she is the head of the group and means business about it.
I'd put out at least two feed stations so the Wyandottes have a place to eat away from her.
Good luck.

 

[PirateGirl]

Every chicken has a different personality. Also, as others have mentioned, often their personalities change once they hit maturity/start laying. Also you have to learn to respect boundaries and not push your luck. Some birds don't like being handled, period, and no amount of handling will turn those birds into lap chickens, in fact, it may just stress them out and upset them more. I have some birds I can easily catch and pick up and others that run for their lives. They were all raised the same. I don't mess with the timid ones, and as long as I ignore them, they actually will follow me around to see what's going on. Hopefully you and your birds will all learn to get along. That being said, if once they all hit maturity, if you still have a serious bully issue on your hands and the one is beating up the others, you may have to face the difficult decision of what to do with the bully. I'd give it time. Also, once they are out of the brooder and have more space and more interesting things to do, conflicts between the chickens may improve.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How sure are you that that is a female? At six weeks you might be able to tell. Could you post photos showing the head up close, mainly comb and wattles. Also a profile shot showing legs and posture.

 

[bellz15]

I had a chick like that a couple years ago. I called her Butthead because she was so mean to the other chicks. Eventually "she" started to crow and I figured out what the problem was. He was never a nice rooster, but he made a delicious broth.

Like they always say, the meaner the rooster the tastier the broth!

Oh.. what? They don't say that?

 

[bellz15]

Does she do this often or involuntarily?
Makes me think of wry neck, which could add a component of neurological issues affecting her behavior.

Agrees comb to yellow for male at 6 wks, but would like a clear well lit shot of breast feathers.

Oh, and ....chickens do not 'hate'.....but Fear can manifest in Flight or Fight.

Hi,

The demon possession has never happened before as far as I know, when I snapped the photo I didn't even know she did it. I looked back through the pictures I took and.... argh! Time for some hail Mary's.

I understand that maybe it's all out of fear. That makes me very sad considering how gentle and considerate I am with them, I have put in so many hours and never force them to do anything except from moving them outside from their grass back to the brooder for the cold night. She's also sometimes very confident and comes and walks all over me and other times very angry and flighty. Mean to the others but screams if she's away from them for a second.

I know it's not my fault and there's nothing I can do if that's 'her personality' but the main reason for getting these three was to make them friendly hens, comfortable with being picked up to get their wings clipped and check for illness. With our two big girls, we can sometimes pick up Eggon TargereHen but Eggritte just won't let us get near her.