My RIR Hen Went Psycho and Attacked Me. Looking for Input.

[amandawv]

Guess who just crouched for me to pick her up? The Kraken! I mean Bernie. I win! She's back!

Yay. I knew she'd come around. :cd

 

[AndiL76]

I have 6 RIRs, all hens no rooster. My dominant hen, Bernadette, attacked me yesterday while I was putting vaseline on another chicken's comb and wattles . I had already finished with my Bernie, took care of her first cause I know she can be difficult. When the second hen started making distressed noises Bernadette came running at me jumping and kicking at my face beat me with her wings and pecked my hand so hard I am bruised from the bottom of my thumb to my wrist! She has never been this aggressive before I am hoping it was a fluke.

 

[Cynthia707]

Hi AndiL76,

What a coincidence! The hen about whom I started this thread is also an RIR named Bernadette, and who I call Bernie. (You can see her photo above.) Maybe Bernies have an unusual propensity for mood swings!

Anyway, I think my Bernie was traumatized by a combination of factors: predator attack, change in pecking order, and then me leaving for 10 days, and that's why she went a little nuts. I "fixed" her by picking her up and carrying her around with her head pushed down for about an hour a day for a week. It took about 3 weeks altogether, but she finally went back to her old self, and now comes to me to picked up and cuddled like she used to. Good luck!

 

[AndiL76]

I don't know what made my Bernie crazy but I was just outside cleaning the coop and she ran up to me and squatted for a pet just like her usual self! Chickens's B crazy