My Lavender Orpington pullet is a beast!

[SurferchickinSB]

Does anybody else have a chicken that just seems to go out of their way to be a jerk? My Lavender Orpington pullet will just get this dark look in her eyes and then I know she is just going to peck or chase one of her flock members for no reason! Everyone is afraid of her and gives her plenty of room! Most of the time she has been being sort of a loner. Is this normal behavior for the queen bee?

 

[HuskerHens18]

How old is she? And yes, I have some really mean hens/pullets

 

[SurferchickinSB]

She will be 13 weeks tomorrow. She does not draw blood, but she pecks the other ones really hard and they just hunker down away from her. They never even challenge her, so I just don’t know if this is normal? She even started doing that to me, but then I poked her back with my finger and she has not done it since. She also used to be very friendly with me, but now she totally ignores me, maybe because I poked her?

 

[JedJackson]

It's pretty typical behavior for a head pullet still learning her way, especially if she's had no older role models to emulate. It's kind of out of character for an Orpington, though. I would give her time and only intervene if she got too brutal or drew blood. I think she will get the hang of the head honcho thing after a while.

 

[JedJackson]

She will be 13 weeks tomorrow. She does not draw blood, but she pecks the other ones really hard and they just hunker down away from her. They never even challenge her, so I just don’t know if this is normal? She even started doing that to me, but then I poked her back with my finger and she has not done it since. She also used to be very friendly with me, but now she totally ignores me, maybe because I poked her?

It is normal. The dominant bird has to always reinforce her dominance-- if she doesn't she won't stay dominant. And the dominant hens aren't the friendliest, in my experience. More submissive birds are usually friendlier to people.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

It's pretty typical behavior for a head pullet still learning her way, especially if she's had no older role models to emulate. It's kind of out of character for an Orpington, though. I would give her time and only intervene if she got too brutal or drew blood. I think she will get the hang of the head honcho thing after a while.

Thank you, I certainly hope she becomes a nicer role model. I just feel sorry for everybody she is terrorizing and picking on!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

It is normal. The dominant bird has to always reinforce her dominance-- if she doesn't she won't stay dominant. And the dominant hens aren't the friendliest, in my experience. More submissive birds are usually friendlier to people.

She was always my friendliest since day one. She always liked to sit on my knee, but she changed a few weeks ago.

 

[Folly's place]

Make sure that there's enough room, and places to avoid her, for the rest of the chicks. If she's causing injuries, consider moving her on elsewhere. Mixed age flocks are best, because the adults manage the little whippersnappers and make them humble!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

'Friendly' translates as 'very bold' in chicken-dom, and this is another example of it. She's tough and unafraid, not actually 'friendly'.
Mary

 

[SurferchickinSB]

'Friendly' translates as 'very bold' in chicken-dom, and this is another example of it. She's tough and unafraid, not actually 'friendly'.
Mary

Yes, I thought she was a roo actually from about the time she was 3 days old, her comb grew kind of large, but then she grew into it. She has always been bold from day one and by day three, she was already perching on her little roost. Hopefully she won’t go further than just the peck. I really like her, but hope she won’t hurt her flockmates.