Newly aggressive Orpington hen... but only to humans

[KellysChicks]

Has she laid yet?
Got a pic?

I think she just laid today! The strange egg fits what the internet says her eggs should look like. Also, I was out cleaning the coop and nesting boxes this afternoon and she didn’t charge me once. Perhaps you guys were right and she was just getting close to laying and was being protective. ‍ We shall see.

 

[aart]

Perhaps you guys were right and she was just getting close to laying and was being protective

I meant a pic of bird......hormonal, rather than protective

 

[azygous]

I am in complete agreement with @oldhenlikesdogs on this, both on the reason for the behavior and the manner of discipline.

If we human women can go relatively insane under the influence of our hormones, certainly hens are entitled. The issue may have just resolved itself with her first egg. If her temperament includes getting worked up prior to laying each egg, as some of my hens do, she may still require a reminder that aggressive behavior toward humans isn't permitted by using the technique @oldhenlikesdogs recommended.

Chickens respond very quickly to proper discipline. Just be consistent with it.

By the way, a sick hen is the precise opposite of an active, vocal, well hen. A sick hen is mute, lethargic, and withdrawn.

 

[KellysChicks]

Thank you for the support, Azygous! I agree with you both that consistent and gentle discipline is needed for any maladaptive behavior, whether it be for children or chickens. My goal is always to have a healthy and peaceful flock and will reprimand as needed for wayward tendencies.

I’m so grateful for the collective experience here. I’ve had chickens for years but I find that there are new things that come up with each new flock that I didn’t deal with before. Soon I will be able to share the wealth of knowledge that you all share with me!

Cheers!

 

[NinjaChicken617]

Hi, y’all! Somewhat of a novice in this area and need some expert help. I have a flock of 8 hens, one of which is a lavender Orpington born 8/10/18. We call her Venus. I’ve noticed in the last couple of weeks, she has become increasingly aggressive toward me when I’m in the yard, charging me and now pecking me too. She’s always trying to head me off when I’m walking about the yard. When I go to shoo her, she charges me and tries to go for my face. I’m certain she is not a Roo as we had her littermate (is that a chicken thing?) who turned out to be our first Roo and she looks nothing like he did - no saddle feathers, etc. She is. Or domineering with any of the other hens, only me. Actually, she submits to the more dominant hens beautifully. I don’t know if this helps explain the change in behavior or not but within the last couple of weeks most of my girls have started laying, and I am pretty certain she hasn’t. I never approach the hens when they are laying, if that helps too.

Thoughts? I so appreciate your help! I can’t keep a meanie in the flock. We have little people that will eventually be around the girls and I would like to nip this in the bud, if it is t already too late.

Thank you!!
Kelly and Venus

Same here, except mine is a buff and she's been laying a few months now. We got her in July from a friend who was culling her flock, so she was already 8 weeks old and she wasn't hand-raised like the rest of our girls. She was skittish and would run from us and the other birds, but then I eventually got her to eat from my hand after a few months. For the last several weeks she's taken to jumping at me and pecking me when I come into the yard. Some of my other girls hop up and down or peck at my feet but it's because they want to be picked up or petted (one of my RI Reds could spend all day tucked under my arm- I call her my feathery football). Today she went for my wedding ring and drew blood. She has also been aggressive with my wife. There is nothing wrong with her and she's not aggressive with the other girls. She's eating, scratching, and laying normally and she's as active and busy as always. We'll try the holding her down thing someone else suggested, but she's quick and doesn't like to be touched, so we may have to corner her. It's surprising because I keep hearing that orpies are usually docile, but this one clearly didn't get the memo. I hope your girl has settled down by now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I eventually got her to eat from my hand after a few months. For the last several weeks she's taken to jumping at me and pecking me when I come into the yard.

She expects to be fed from your hand so is jumping up to try and get to the food she thinks might be there.

I would stop hand feeding her completely, and if she pecks you, peck her back (use a finger or two and jab her sharply in the back of the head or neck, not enough to hurt but enough to get a reaction). That's how chickens tell other chickens off. Hopefully that'll teach her that leaping up = no snack, get pecked.

 

[NinjaChicken617]

She expects to be fed from your hand so is jumping up to try and get to the food she thinks might be there.

I would stop hand feeding her completely, and if she pecks you, peck her back (use a finger or two and jab her sharply in the back of the head or neck, not enough to hurt but enough to get a reaction). That's how chickens tell other chickens off. Hopefully that'll teach her that leaping up = no snack, get pecked.

I stopped hand-feeding everyone in the early fall when I went back to work full-time. Now I bring any snacks I want to give them out in the early morning before they're even out of the coop and leave them in a pan in their yard. The only time I ever really get to see or spend any time with them is on weekends, but now that I've gotten in the habit of using the "snack pan" everyone tends to run to crowd around the pan when they see me coming... except the Orpie, who comes right up to the gate and squawks at me when I come through. I did find that cornering her and forcing her into a squat while I petted her head and talked softly to her seemed to help because she was far more chill when I went out to see them today. Maybe she decided that she likes me and is sad that she doesn't see me as much anymore Now that the days are longer I'll be able to get home from work in the evenings before dark so I'll be able to see everyone every day. Hopefully that plus a periodic reminder that I'm the alpha chicken will chill her out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I did find that cornering her and forcing her into a squat while I petted her head and talked softly to her seemed to help because she was far more chill when I went out to see them today.

She sees that as you asserting yourself over her so she backed off. Have your wife do the same if she hasn't been doing so.

Not everyone likes playing "roo" but I like encouraging my chickens to squat for me. Makes it hard to walk around sometimes but also makes them far easier to catch and handle.