Oregon

[hokankai]

You don't have to continually have dominance wars with your hens. Once they get it, they get it. They're smart and CAN be trained. Your hen shouldn't be punished for simply having a different personality than the others...

Breeds don't have personalities, individuals do. You may get more barred rocks but there's nothing that says they'll all be sweet and friendly. Once your current top hen is gone, another will take its place and that one will need to know that you're at the top of the pyramid as well. Who knows, getting rid of the pecky girl could cause your favorite hen to be top dog and turn her into a pill.

I'm in the mindset that you give every animal a chance. You're currently not telling her what you want in an effective way by flipping her over. That means nothing to her except that you're making her uncomfortable for apparently no reason in her mind. Selling her will put her in the hard situation of having to be introduced into a new flock where she will be incessantly picked on for an extended period of time.

Anyway, if it were me I'd try everything before getting rid of one of my birds (or any of my animals for that matter)...but that's just me.

 

[Sumatra503]

As for the pecking hen. A squirt bottle is a very effective tool. Each time she pecks at you, squirt her. Chickens are very smart animals and she will associate getting squirted with pecking at you.

On a seperate note.....

Never show agression or dominance toward any chicken that is showing dominance or aggression toward you. This only invites them to challenge you further. You don't want your hens to associate you as top chicken, it causes them to constantly test you and attempt to integrate you into their pecking order.

Your hens should look at you as a people and not a chicken. A People should act toward the hens in an un-chickenly manner, both with affection and discipline. This way they will not treat you as a part of the pecking order, but as being on a wrung entirely out of their reach. You are not "Top Chicken", but "Top People". A people is just the creature that brings them food and gives them cuddles and is not a chicken, therefore a people is not treated with the same behavior a chicken is treated with by other chickens.

As a People you show them what is acceptable and what is not, but you do it in a way a chicken wouldn't. For instance, by squirting them or by catching and holding them or by locking them in Time Out(and, yes, they do understand Time Out). Not by kicking at them, pretending to peck them, or any other form of these actions that another chicken would use.


Just what I've noticed over the past few years. Hope it helps a bit.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

My question would be, why do you have to handle her? Or does she attack you? I have a super mean hatchery hen, but she just free ranges with her little group, and all is well. If I try to handle her, I have to wear long sleeves and leather gloves, because she doesn't just peck me, she BITES!

 

[Sumatra503]

My question would be, why do you have to handle her? Or does she attack you? I have a super mean hatchery hen, but she just free ranges with her little group, and all is well. If I try to handle her, I have to wear long sleeves and leather gloves, because she doesn't just peck me, she BITES!

I have dealt with a few biting hens. I personally have no tolerance for it, as I like to be able to handle my hens at any given time without the use of gloves.

What you may try doing is handling her more often. Pick her up every day and carry her around. She will eventually learn that you aren't going to harm her and the biting may stop.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote: No, she's been mean since day one. I don't care though. I have no reason to handle her. I only still have her because my son is attached to her. She'll live out her days free ranging.

 

[ladyfaeden]

All items for sale need to be listed in the BSA section


Edited by Staff

 

[hokankai]

I have to disagree with this. The hens that I've dealt with who have been domineering have NEVER tested me once they knew I was boss. Chickens like order and feel more secure once they know their place. The birds I've dealt with never try to put me in their pecking order. They have there's among themselves, and then there's me who's in charge of everyone. Once the bird knows I'm boss the issue is over. I have NEVER had a juvenile, hen or rooster bite, flog, or jump at me, and the most I've let them test me is them trying to make themselves tall when I'm down working near them in the coop or when I'm handling them outside. One poke or even posturing of my hand and they lower themselves and walk away.

I don't need them to associate pecking me with feeling uncomfortable from a squirt bottle or being held in a weird position. That is way more training/work than speaking to them in their own language, and requires impeccable timing and be extremely consistent in order for that type of training to be effective. I'm a firm believer that the best way to prevent, and curb behavioral issues is to go to their level and tell them in a way they understand. They know I'm not a chicken, my cat knows I'm not a cat, my dogs know I'm not a dog, and my rabbits know I'm not a rabbit...but rather than force them to understand my language, I learn how to understand them by observing/researching their behavior amongst one another. Since I've been doing this I have never been bitten, scratched, pecked at, or acted towards aggressively by any animal I've come in contact with.

Just because you speak their language doesn't mean they think you're one of them. After all, I'm their Almighty bringer of food, treats, and freedom! Haha

Granted, I'm a huge animal behavior junkie and really enjoy training and researching all different species...so that's just the way I do things and I have never had a problem.

As for the pecking hen. A squirt bottle is a very effective tool. Each time she pecks at you, squirt her. Chickens are very smart animals and she will associate getting squirted with pecking at you.

On a seperate note.....

Never show agression or dominance toward any chicken that is showing dominance or aggression toward you. This only invites them to challenge you further. You don't want your hens to associate you as top chicken, it causes them to constantly test you and attempt to integrate you into their pecking order.

Your hens should look at you as a people and not a chicken. A People should act toward the hens in an un-chickenly manner, both with affection and discipline. This way they will not treat you as a part of the pecking order, but as being on a wrung entirely out of their reach. You are not "Top Chicken", but "Top People". A people is just the creature that brings them food and gives them cuddles and is not a chicken, therefore a people is not treated with the same behavior a chicken is treated with by other chickens.

As a People you show them what is acceptable and what is not, but you do it in a way a chicken wouldn't. For instance, by squirting them or by catching and holding them or by locking them in Time Out(and, yes, they do understand Time Out). Not by kicking at them, pretending to peck them, or any other form of these actions that another chicken would use.


Just what I've noticed over the past few years. Hope it helps a bit.

 

[Sumatra503]

I have to disagree with this. The hens that I've dealt with who have been domineering have NEVER tested me once they knew I was boss. Chickens like order and feel more secure once they know their place. The birds I've dealt with never try to put me in their pecking order. They have there's among themselves, and then there's me who's in charge of everyone. Once the bird knows I'm boss the issue is over. I have NEVER had a juvenile, hen or rooster bite, flog, or jump at me, and the most I've let them test me is them trying to make themselves tall when I'm down working near them in the coop or when I'm handling them outside. One poke or even posturing of my hand and they lower themselves and walk away.

I don't need them to associate pecking me with feeling uncomfortable from a squirt bottle or being held in a weird position. That is way more training/work than speaking to them in their own language, and requires impeccable timing and be extremely consistent in order for that type of training to be effective. I'm a firm believer that the best way to prevent, and curb behavioral issues is to go to their level and tell them in a way they understand. They know I'm not a chicken, my cat knows I'm not a cat, my dogs know I'm not a dog, and my rabbits know I'm not a rabbit...but rather than force them to understand my language, I learn how to understand them by observing/researching their behavior amongst one another. Since I've been doing this I have never been bitten, scratched, pecked at, or acted towards aggressively by any animal I've come in contact with.

Just because you speak their language doesn't mean they think you're one of them. After all, I'm their Almighty bringer of food, treats, and freedom! Haha

Granted, I'm a huge animal behavior junkie and really enjoy training and researching all different species...so that's just the way I do things and I have never had a problem.

I have had a completely different experience with this, but each situation and experience will produce differing results.

Each time I correct bad behaviors with a peck, i get pecked. Every time I use a squirt bottle, I cease to get pecked. Just the way it seems to work for me.

I used to believe that my chickens would not treat me like chickens if I pecked at them and treated them like chickens treat eachother, but my Roo clucked at me, courted me, and tried to mate with me and my hens continued to test me in their pecking order by pecking at me.

I now maintain my dominance by un-chickenly methods and they seemed to get the point.

I, however, am not disagreeing with you as you are with me. I'm just stating my experience, not my opinion.

 

[hokankai]

"Never show agression or dominance toward any chicken that is showing dominance or aggression toward you. This only invites them to challenge you further. You don't want your hens to associate you as top chicken, it causes them to constantly test you and attempt to integrate you into their pecking order."

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This is what I was disagreeing with. There are different ways of doing things, so like the saying goes, "Never say never."[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Like I said, individuals are different and one thing might not work for one as it does for another. For me, my rooster clucks and tries courting me (particularly when he was separated during QT) but that doesn't bother me. I just approach him and throw him off my petting him on the back or tossing scratch to get the attention off of me. My hens and rooster do not test me though. Being treated like a chicken doesn't mean they THINK you're a chicken. If anything you should be flattered, as it means they're attempting to communicate with you.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For me, when it comes to certain things I'd rather just avoid training since it's like working around a language barrier. But if you know what they're telling you and they know what you're telling them all you're doing is communicating and they get the picture without having to learn via association.[/FONT]

 

[chickened]

One thing I have learned with chickens in 30+ years is any training is more effective and less repetitious when you train a hungry bird rather than a full bird. Try it sometime.