Mean, mean "Attilla the Hen"

[FiddleChics]

It's been a few days... and I've been keeping an eye on things.
Sadly, Attila the Hen has regressed. This morning she hit an all time low, inside the coop a little after 5 AM... the Littles - fled the coop - terrified when I opened the door, and there were feathers everywhere and I heard the screaming as I approached. Attila was full throttle with the growling and nasty lunging, and I have had enough.

She went back into the penalty box today - and when my husband got home, OUT came the pinless peepers. I feel bad but it's strike TWO for Attila. He held her and I put them on. Honest admission... I looked at these pinless peepers, and felt HORRIBLE that they pierce so closely into the nasal passage. So, I took an emery board/nail file - and filed them down smooth and shorter.... A stupid decision. So... they did not work AT all - and she kicked them off in 5 seconds.
So... I got a 2nd, unaltered pair of Pinless peepers - and applied them. It was easy... Bent them open from the middle, centered them over her beak & voila... they clipped on. It was easy, except for my poor sweet husband who got pooped on.... but I'll deal with that later. I only had to bend them out from the center, with my hands, and I gently placed them over her beak. Ohhh... She was NOT happy. She kicked at them, but they stayed tight. She backed up, she hunched up... 10 minutes of adjustment... and suddenly being a bully was NOT first priority!!!!!! I threw out some scratch and she was digging at the greens within no time. This is the first few hours... but I feel ok. I've been pushed to my wits end with her... and hopefully this'll work! Here's some pics!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It's been a few days... and I've been keeping an eye on things.
Sadly, Attila the Hen has regressed. This morning she hit an all time low, inside the coop a little after 5 AM... the Littles - fled the coop - terrified when I opened the door, and there were feathers everywhere and I heard the screaming as I approached. Attila was full throttle with the growling and nasty lunging, and I have had enough.

She went back into the penalty box today - and when my husband got home, OUT came the pinless peepers. I feel bad but it's strike TWO for Attila. He held her and I put them on. Honest admission... I looked at these pinless peepers, and felt HORRIBLE that they pierce so closely into the nasal passage. So, I took an emery board/nail file - and filed them down smooth and shorter.... A stupid decision. So... they did not work AT all - and she kicked them off in 5 seconds.
So... I got a 2nd, unaltered pair of Pinless peepers - and applied them. It was easy... Bent them open from the middle, centered them over her beak & voila... they clipped on. It was easy, except for my poor sweet husband who got pooped on.... but I'll deal with that later. I only had to bend them out from the center, with my hands, and I gently placed them over her beak. Ohhh... She was NOT happy. She kicked at them, but they stayed tight. She backed up, she hunched up... 10 minutes of adjustment... and suddenly being a bully was NOT first priority!!!!!! I threw out some scratch and she was digging at the greens within no time. This is the first few hours... but I feel ok. I've been pushed to my wits end with her... and hopefully this'll work! Here's some pics!

View attachment 1811213 View attachment 1811215

My view of this thread is weirdly messed up, so I just read your post with the pinless peepers. Atilla does look more... subdued. I hope that solves her behavior issues! I also hope that you’ll keep us updated! Our broody hen is trying to integrate her 4 week old chicks into roosting in the coop. She is amazing, but what a Herculean task!

 

[FiddleChics]

My view of this thread is weirdly messed up, so I just read your post with the pinless peepers. Atilla does look more... subdued. I hope that solves her behavior issues! I also hope that you’ll keep us updated! Our broody hen is trying to integrate her 4 week old chicks into roosting in the coop. She is amazing, but what a Herculean task!

Thanks @Mixed flock enthusiast, a lot of my views on BYC seem scrambled too, and it takes me time to find the right sequence... it's often weird. But now, day 2 - Attila seems to be seriously re-evaluating her position - which I'm thankful for, and she's TOTALLY not chasing or terrorizing anyone. The peeps are starting to calm down and they were even sharing a dish of hot mash with no threats from her - even remotely evident. I did have her inside until the rain stopped this morning - because they would have been too confined together... and I wanted to give the peeps some space to just relax. But it's been good all afternoon!!! I'm VERY pleased with the results of the Pinless Peepers so far! And she's eating, drinking & preening like usual!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks @Mixed flock enthusiast, a lot of my views on BYC seem scrambled too, and it takes me time to find the right sequence... it's often weird. But now, day 2 - Attila seems to be seriously re-evaluating her position - which I'm thankful for, and she's TOTALLY not chasing or terrorizing anyone. The peeps are starting to calm down and they were even sharing a dish of hot mash with no threats from her - even remotely evident. I did have her inside until the rain stopped this morning - because they would have been too confined together... and I wanted to give the peeps some space to just relax. But it's been good all afternoon!!! I'm VERY pleased with the results of the Pinless Peepers so far! And she's eating, drinking & preening like usual!

Wonderful news, FiddleChics! I’m sure somewhere in that grumpy brain of hers, she’s figuring out how to live with all of those annoying chicks, as are our annoyed grumpy gals!

 

[Willowspirit]

This is such a terrific thoughtful thread watching you work with your bad girls! Thank you and please keep updating!

 

[Cryss]

I used peepers on my bully BR. She never stopped pecking at the one hen she didn't like, but it was enough to slow her down so the victim could relax knowing she could just move away. I ended up rehoming my BR to a gal with a huge flock. Now my problem is instead of 5 of the 6 hens laying eggs I now have 2 of 4 laying. One hasn't laid in 10 months. The other is only laying shelless eggs. Oh, a third went broody do I was down to only 1 laying till the broody broke and finally resumed. I really miss those BR eggs! I will keep peepers on hand just in case I ever get another bully.
Hmmmm...wonder if it would work on a human agressive rooster.

 

[FiddleChics]

Update: Pinless Peepers on, day #3. Alls' going pretty well. Went out last night to check on everyone, opened the coop door and was thrilled to see everyone on the roosts... oh, but wait... head count... 1 short - and Attila was missing. I quickly glance to the nesting boxes and there she was, on a nest with her 'shades" on... hoping I didn't see her, but I heard her, grumbling before I saw her. Um... NOPE. Broody, Attila the hen was trying to perpetuate her broodiness even with her groovy, new specks on... and I said no-way. I brought her inside to the garage where she has a nice size cage, with a roost, but no nest. She isn't laying - for almost 2 weeks now... so I knew that whole 'nest' thing was a crock of phony-baloney.

This morning, 5 AM, I carried her back out to the coop, and she rejoined everyone, while I am keeping a watchful eye on the nesting boxes, and hope she doesn't try to sneak in there.

But Attila's rein of terror over the littles... (now at 11 weeks old, and catching up in size and courage) has come to a stop with the pinless peepers on. Attila seems more concerned with navigating her new situation, rather than terrorizing the Peeps. The Peeps have also, in these 3 days, slowly relaxed to better level of comfort, and seem less fearful of her, so that is VERY good! A few of them ate with her, out of a large, black basin... so I was happy to see that. But they still give her wide space... but not the frantic level of before, but though they do avoid going into the smaller, 6'x14' covered run... which is where they had been getting cornered/attacked.... but that's ok for now, I think that'll change eventually. I've got 3 feed & 4 watering stations set up - so no one goes without, which is coming in handy too.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Update: Pinless Peepers on, day #3. Alls' going pretty well. Went out last night to check on everyone, opened the coop door and was thrilled to see everyone on the roosts... oh, but wait... head count... 1 short - and Attila was missing. I quickly glance to the nesting boxes and there she was, on a nest with her 'shades" on... hoping I didn't see her, but I heard her, grumbling before I saw her. Um... NOPE. Broody, Attila the hen was trying to perpetuate her broodiness even with her groovy, new specks on... and I said no-way. I brought her inside to the garage where she has a nice size cage, with a roost, but no nest. She isn't laying - for almost 2 weeks now... so I knew that whole 'nest' thing was a crock of phony-baloney.

This morning, 5 AM, I carried her back out to the coop, and she rejoined everyone, while I am keeping a watchful eye on the nesting boxes, and hope she doesn't try to sneak in there.

But Attila's rein of terror over the littles... (now at 11 weeks old, and catching up in size and courage) has come to a stop with the pinless peepers on. Attila seems more concerned with navigating her new situation, rather than terrorizing the Peeps. The Peeps have also, in these 3 days, slowly relaxed to better level of comfort, and seem less fearful of her, so that is VERY good! A few of them ate with her, out of a large, black basin... so I was happy to see that. But they still give her wide space... but not the frantic level of before, but though they do avoid going into the smaller, 6'x14' covered run... which is where they had been getting cornered/attacked.... but that's ok for now, I think that'll change eventually. I've got 3 feed & 4 watering stations set up - so no one goes without, which is coming in handy too.

Ah, those broody girls! I couldn’t break the broodiness of Susan, our silkie. They are renowned for broodiness, but I also think that having lost all of the friends that she had in our flock to Marek’s also made her depressed. So, I gave up on breaking her and put her on eggs! I’m hoping that having the chicks to take care of will give her a new lease on life, but integration of her babies will be rough, since she is so low on the pecking order!

 

[aart]

Can she get up onto the roost with the shades on?

 

[Mrs. K]

Always solve for the peace of the flock.