My Chicken started pecking me and other chickens if I touch them.

[tottrotters]

I have two Ameraucanas and one silver laced Wyandotte, all just over a year old. They have always been very friendly and social, following us around the yard, greeting us when we come home and letting us pet them and pick them up. Just recently one of the Ameraucanas started pecking us if we touch one of the other girls. If I push her away she then starts pecking the chicken we are touching. If we pet or pick her up, she is totally fine. Is it a territorial thing or possibly a jealousy issue?

 

[analyticalblonde]

Sounds like this particular Ameraucana is trying to establish senior pecking order over the other girls and YOU! One of my New Hampshire Reds started doing this to me (I have ten girls) and she is the most daring of the lot. I had to reestablish my dominance over her by "pecking" back on her, kind of hard, harder than the peck she gave me, many times over several days until she finally succumbed and realized that I was the queen bee and not to be harassed.

 

[tottrotters]

Thank you! I had a feeling it would take me "pecking" her back, but just wanted to make sure.

 

[dremara]

I'm having this issue with my head hen, little lady is trying to take ME down. She pecks my feet or hands it I get too close but ESPECIALLY if I don't feed her mealworms quick enough she's quite the sassy lady. Usually what I do is pick her up and hold her tight to let her know that I'm bigger and I can control her but I'm gonna have to start pecking back at her.

I also lock her in the enclosure and make her watch the nice chickens eat mealworms, she absolutely hates it. She think she's all that and then some.