I'm specifically asking for guidance on the best way to deal with an aggressive hen. Right now my approach is based on this BYC article I read a while back on rooster behavior modification (it took me a while to find it again):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/rooster-behavior-modification.72983/
As well as this shorter article on aggressive hens:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aggressive-dominant-hens.74197/
My thinking is that we need to respond in a way that chickens will understand. Chickens don't pick each other up and carry each other around like footballs when challenged: they peck back. Is this a bad approach? What should we do instead if it is? That's what I'm seeking feedback on.
Chickens also don’t pick up sticks and continue poking the other chicken long after it’s moved out of their space, unless they’re a bully and need to be dealt with. You do not want to be a part of the pecking order, you’re not a chicken, you don’t respond like a chicken. If your dog were to do something similar would you bite the dog back because that’s something another dog would do? You actually are not physically capable of responding as another chicken would, no person is; you don’t have wings, a beak, and clawed feet. You don’t and can’t move in a way another chicken would.
I agree that a lot of solutions such as carrying the bird around or holding them in various configurations, while it may work for some, probably won’t help you in this case. But hey, if you want to try it, no harm.
in the second article you cited, I think the main point to take away is not so much the “do as a chicken would” but the fact that you stand your ground when challenged, advance if they don’t back off, and make them calmly move out of your space. You’re not then chasing them around, you move them out of your space and that’s the end of it. This is not something the youngest should be involved in, and probably not the older child either as his height puts him at a disadvantage and risk of injury still.
you need to not anthropomorphise the chicken - it’s not a person and doesn’t reason through things like a person would. It’s hard to do with pets, but it’s important so we don’t inadvertently project onto the animal. try to understand WHY the behaviour is being expressed - often that’s the crux of the problem, we don’t see what we’re doing that sets the animal off. Kids often get the brunt of the bad behaviours because they move differently, sound different, and none of these things are their fault, they’re kids! Doesn’t matter how awesome the kid is, or how quiet they are. Their non verbal cues often are the problem and takes time and experience to change. But traumatizing them now, because of one aggressive pullet that is capable and obviously willing to do damage, well... my mom is still terrified of chickens down to this day. She’s 60 years old and will never forget the aggressive birds that attacked her when she went to collect eggs with her aunt when she was 5 years old. She has scars on her face from them.
either confine the bird so no altercations can happen at least when the kids are present, keep the kids out of the birds’ space whether that means the entire coop and run or just not up close and personal with the birds, or rehome the pullet. You can definitely try confinement and see how things go, but keep in mind that some individual birds just aren’t suited to the situation you have found yourself in.
Believe me, none of us here take aggressive birds lightly. It’s heartbreaking when one of the friendliest chicks turns into a tyrant. There’s no “one size fits all” way of dealing with a situation like this, and all we can do is give you our opinions based on our experiences and our understanding of your situation. We aren’t in your shoes so it makes it a little more difficult to work through, but we can give you suggestions to try.
The good news? Kids are resilient and even if you do have to rehome this girl and replace her, what kid doesn’t like to get a new baby chick?
