My Buff orpingtons are mean.

[chrissynemetz]

My BO hens are very mellow with the rest of the flock, although they can be hogs at the feed dish. Having numerous feeding and watering stations really helps a lot with this.
I did however have to re-home two BO roosters because they were way too rough with the hens. They weren't the least bit people aggressive, but they were tormenting my girls.

 

[Lexicon]

So I’ve noticed my BO hog all the food and fight my gold sex links all the time, particularly one gold sex link who likes to go hide in the coop away from them. Why are they like this?? I thought BO were supposed to be nice!

I have four Buff Orpingtons pullets along with six other pullets. I have noticed that the Buffs squabble with each other more than with the other birds, perhaps in a quest to be the top of the Buffs since no one messes with my top girl who is a Black Australorp. They are definitely spunky!

 

[Sally PB]

I had to cull two BO cockerels at four months. Hormones hit, they got VERY aggressive with the pullets and me. Never buying straight run again!

 

[ChopperBambi]

My BO pullet is the only one that pecks me! My Black Australorp never does, my barred rock is fairly docile, my Easter egger is flighty, but the buff orpington pecks me when I look away. Makes me mad! I make sure to give her a peck back with my finger. Ugh. Thought she was supposed to be a golden retriever? Oh well. Thankfully she seems to back down after I peck her back but she's constantly trying it.

 

[K0k0shka]

My BO pullet is the only one that pecks me! My Black Australorp never does, my barred rock is fairly docile, my Easter egger is flighty, but the buff orpington pecks me when I look away. Makes me mad! I make sure to give her a peck back with my finger. Ugh. Thought she was supposed to be a golden retriever? Oh well. Thankfully she seems to back down after I peck her back but she's constantly trying it.

BOs are low on the food chain... Maybe she's trying to climb above you on the ladder, and has picked you as an easier target than the other chickens, because you're nice to her and she knows you won't hurt her (unlike other chickens who might peck the crap out of her if she got too brave out of her league). Not to say you should be mean to her, of course. "Pecking" her back with your finger should be good enough to put her back in her place. Just be consistent with it and don't let her get away with bad behavior.

 

[ChopperBambi]

BOs are low on the food chain... Maybe she's trying to climb above you on the ladder, and has picked you as an easier target than the other chickens, because you're nice to her and she knows you won't hurt her (unlike other chickens who might peck the crap out of her if she got too brave out of her league). Not to say you should be mean to her, of course. "Pecking" her back with your finger should be good enough to put her back in her place. Just be consistent with it and don't let her get away with bad behavior.

I 'think' she's top hen. My chickens have never fought. I also have never noticed anyone being blocked from food or the nest box. My guess is that my Easter egger is the bottom hen, she hasn't laid yet. She was always trying to jump on the buff and BA but once they were laying she's stopped that. My BO lays first in the morning... I have no real clue who's top hen but I'm thinking it's her.