My chickens have gone crazy!

[Dove1B]

Help! My chickens are suddenly turning mean! Normally I'll go in and they'll gather around me wanting food, sometimes one will follow me clucking softly or try to peck at a bucket or basket in my hand. I have one rooster and he's tried twice to ruffle his feathers at me, but I yelled at him and stomped towards him and he backed down. But today, all of my chickens were trying to attack me! I didn't have food in my hand, they were all just charging me and puffing up/flapping their wings. I yelled at them, ran towards them, swung a shovel at them, and they didnt back down a bit! My 3 year old had to save me! (Seriously, she's fearless of them and loves to chase and catch them, they just ran away from her). What the heck though? They have plenty of food and water. My husband went out and they tried to chase him, but he's a bit more intimidating I guess so they ran away once he tried to chase them. But I was standing there screaming, waving my arms and hitting them with a shovel and they wouldn't stop!

 

[bobbi-j]

Are you the main treat-bringer? Do you ever hand-feed them? If so, my guess is that they expect you bring them goodies all the time and that's what they were looking for. If that's not the case, I have no idea what to say.

 

[Dove1B]

I never hand feed them, I probably bring them treats slightly more often than my husband or daughter but we all do it.

 

[bobbi-j]

Huh - I'm stumped, then. It still seems like they were expecting something from you, but not having witnessed the behavior, it's just a stab in the dark.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Are they old enough to know for sure that you only have one rooster?! Other then that I'm stumped too without having seen it happen. I have never had hens act remotely aggressive even, and especially, when I am bringing some treat or tidbit for them. They get excited and get underfoot and lots of happy clucking but no aggression, at all.

 

[bobbi-j]

Are they old enough to know for sure that you only have one rooster?! Other then that I'm stumped too without having seen it happen. I have never had hens act remotely aggressive even, and especially, when I am bringing some treat or tidbit for them. They get excited and get underfoot and lots of happy clucking but no aggression, at all.

Good point!