Ornery Chicken

[chrissynemetz]

She's pretty!! Is she the dominant hen? I'm thinking maybe you should treat her as you would an aggressive rooster. As previously mentioned @Beekissed has a good article on roosters, and if you do a search, there are several more on here that offer lots of good advice. Keep us posted on this little lady, she has me hooked

 

[ChickenDad228]

There's a difference between an attack, and rude pecking for attention or goodies. I'm not a fan of that pecking either, and address it by either pecking right back (which takes really good reflexes!) or pushing the bird out of my way.
I don't think that she makes a right connection between her pecking and you picking her up. It's not behavior on your part that registers with her as you might think.
Try something else!
I've had pushy pullets sometimes, and it's not that they want what I want, it's just being pushy. Fix it!
Seriously aggressive pecking will cause wounds, even through jeans at times.
Mary

Well now that you mention it, it does seem more like pecking for the goodies or attention cause she isn’t coming hard enough to inflict injury which she very well could if she wanted, she was the smallest chicken out of the four when we got them

 

[ChickenDad228]

She's pretty!! Is she the dominant hen? I'm thinking maybe you should treat her as you would an aggressive rooster. As previously mentioned @Beekissed has a good article on roosters, and if you do a search, there are several more on here that offer lots of good advice. Keep us posted on this little lady, she has me hooked

No she most definitely is the bottom hen, these two are the dominant ones (black one is named lil mark) & the golden with white tips is chicken nugget

 

[aart]

Don't pick her up, peck her back....she's being rude.

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

 

[azygous]

Don't pick her up, peck her back....she's being rude.

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

This is such a simple , easy discipline method and it replicates the way chickens discipline each the in the flock. They understand this. It may take repeated applications to be effective, but keep it up.

Currently, I have five six-month olds, and they are hyper and over-eager when I am around doing my chicken chores. They peck at my hands and legs and even jump on me. Pecking them on the back with my fingers as @aart describes is very effective in curbing this annoying behavior. I expect them to settle down and get with the program before much longer with the continued discipline.

 

[ChickenDad228]

Don't pick her up, peck her back....she's being rude.

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

Thanks, I haven’t done the pecking idea but I have done the “hold till submit” idea and it’s slowly been working and showing signs of her less and less wanting to try me

 

[ChickenDad228]

***Update***
So I’ve been doing the “Address her before you stress her” giving all eyes on her when I come out and before she even starts to get an attitude I address her. Also been doing the pecking back and it’s actually working slowly, it’s funny when I did do that one of my “regulator” chickens went and gave her a peck as well almost kinda saying like yeaa don’t bite the hand that feeds. But thank you everyone for the help and I will keep you updated

 

[Folly's place]

Mary

 

[igorsMistress]

I had a couple of RIR girls. They were definitely top of the pecking order. On occasion I had to remind them I didn't like to be pecked by thumping them with my finger but that was usually all that was necessary. Sometimes it required a few repeats and then I'd shoo them off. They're confident aren't they?

 

[ChickenDad228]

I had a couple of RIR girls. They were definitely top of the pecking order. On occasion I had to remind them I didn't like to be pecked by thumping them with my finger but that was usually all that was necessary. Sometimes it required a few repeats and then I'd shoo them off. They're confident aren't they?

See and the funny thing is, is that the two RIR I have aren’t even at the top of the pecking order, the one I have named chicken nugget which is a ISA Brown is the top chicken