MEAN FOREVER? Why Are They Acting This Way?

[ksct]

I have 12 buff orp little ladies who will be 3 weeks old tomorrow.... I have been noticing that they seem to be less fearful of, well just about everything. If you put your hand down with them, sometimes they'll peck at your hand. DH says that if you put your hand in with them and DONT move your hand he notices that they don't peck as often if at all. Last night i was "tucking them in" before we went to bed and about 5 of them were trying to get out. I CAREFULLY nudged them all back to get the door closed and as soon as i moved them, all 5 of them came "charging" back at me. Is this type of behavior normal? Are they just growing into themselves? We really wanted BO's becasue we were told they were some of the friendliest of the breeds. I'm just afraid if this is a sign of them being mean that they will be worse when they're full grown....
- a side note, they outgrew their brooder so they are in the coop now. I believe the dimensions are 4X6.... they have PLENTY of room so im not worried about that part. Should they have more "things to do"
Please help!

 

[Uzuri]

I'm a little curious about that myself, since mine started doing that last week as well.

I didn't think too much of it, though. I assumed they were challenging me a bit, so any time they did that, I gave them a good shove backward until they quit so they'd get the point that I was the boss. For the most part they've cut it out now, but if I'm still enough, they'll walk up to me quietly after a while, without all the charging and nastiness.

 

[elmo]

I wouldn't interpret what you describe as meanness or aggressiveness. It could just be that they were mobbing you like chicks mob their hen who has found a tasty tidbit and calls her chicks to share it.

 

[Ducklove334]

Our BO hen is VERY agressive with the other birds, specially the roos, when they,uhm...show her attention LOL

the little chick I hatched is scared of just about EVERYTHING.

I just don't see whats so friendly about them.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

A couple of my 3 week olds are doing the same thing, the little snots!

 

[ksct]

is this pecking behavior and such something we think will pass? up until i'll say this past week they've been scared and quite sweet when coming to see us.
We did let them out Sunday while it was hot (out in their run-SAFE!) to get the brooder out of the coop and get the bedding etc ready for them. AND we have been giving them crickets. So, them coming over to find out what we have could sound like what their doing only we dump the crickets in with them. They are just pecking far more than i thought they would (recently) and as they get older/bigger, the pecking hurts.....

I don't want to make a decision about it just yet, because they are still little, however, we have been discussing getting a roo. 1 roo for 12 girls we don't want anymore than that. could that help or should i try what a previous poster said and just make sure they know I/we are the boss of them?

 

[Davaroo]

You must be new at this

They are not being mean - they dont know how to be. They just do what they do to survive. For them, that's what it's all about. They are prey - and they instinctively know this. They are birds, after all. You should avoid interpreting their actions along human lines - that is an endless road.

Everything they do now may seem fascinating, and that is a cool a part of raising them. But not everything they do will make sense to our way of thinking. And giving them squeeky toys to keep them occupied is generally fruitless...remember, they are not pre-schoolers. They are driven by different motivators. Only a few breeding centuries separates them from the wild state, you know.

Chicken "friendliness" is relative to their standards, not ours. We must keep that in mind.
They may learn to respond to you in time and they will certainly know the hand that feeds them. Some few of them may spark a bond. It happens. The best thing you can do is to observe them and learn how they work.

But if you want friendly, warm and cuddly across the board - better get a dog.
Sounds harsh, I know, but it is what it is.

P.S. A cock will add a new dimension to the flock dynamic. One cock for 12 hens is a good number. But will it change anything? Will it make them "nicer"? Not really. It will tend to divert them but in the end, they will still do what chickens do.

 

[kipper]

Our chicks are 3 1/2 weeks old and acting the same way. They now nip occasionally. They act scared, aggressive, wild, silly, and just plain odd all in the span of a few minutes. I think they are like toddlers, moody and impulsive. I suspect the nipping

Ours are in brooders for a few more days, awaiting the coop's completion. We toss on a handful of weeds or grass a few times a day and that seems to create a good diversion.

I suspect the nipping is experimental, to see what something feels like and to see what reaction they will get. It may also be trying to put you below them in the pecking order, too? If that is the case, mine better get REALLY big. I have a lot of experience with parrots, and have been nailed by rather large and aggressive ones many times. I don't back down or even flinch.

I suspect it's a stage they will pass through. My guess is like kids, they will respond well to routine and, of course, treats.

 

[cindyanne1]

I don't think it's permanant. I've raised two sets of chicks from day-olds to the 2.5 -3 month old range and when they were about 3 to 4 weeks old I thought they'd never be tame. Now they are the sweetest things.

They still don't like to be held or cuddled much but if I sit on the ground they will all crowd around me, climb up on my knees and roost there, etc. They also like to just hang out with me... even though they have the whole 3 acres to roam on when I let them out they tend to follow me around the yard as I'm gardening and putter around.

My suggestion would be to find a treat that you only feed with your hand... oats are good... and start giving them a little treat when you go out with them. You'll be surprised how quickly they come to look forward to your visits!

 

[racuda]

If you want to see aggressive just wait til you have a broody sitting on a clutch of eggs and you need to check under her. I have one that can make me bleed.