Pecking Hand, weird behavior

[Chickenpapa77]

I’ve been a servant to a flock of chickens for 10yrs now. I have a 2 yr old barred rock who is a great hen and is at the bottom of the flock in a really friendly group of chickens. She lays well, hops on my lap to snuggle, etc. However, for some time when I squat down on the ground she does a little dance and then aggressively bites my hand. I pick her up and she complains, but then chills out I carry her around the yard.

I have also noticed her chasing me and pecking at my ankle when I walk away.

When I feed the chickens, this same hen sneaks up behind me and gently pecks my back so I can sneak her some food, but the hand pecking is very different.

I’m try to figure out if she wants something, or is trying to assert dominance, thinks I’m cute, broody, or is just a little bit crazy.

The same hen gets mad when she is wronged and lets you know.

Curious if anyone has had a similar experience. Also know that I raise my chickens as dogs. She is the middle chicken in the photo.

 

[thecatumbrella]

It sounds like she's taking on some rooster characteristics (I'm assuming your flock is all hens?), at least with you. I've also found some chickens are just really nippy, especially if they make the connection that hand = snacks.

Personally, I wouldn't let her do it. The moment you see her sizing up your hand, give her a correction. Two fingers and strike on the noggin' or back, just like another chicken would. Don't hurt them (duh), but do it like you mean it. Some birds respond very well to this and learn their manners. But I've also had persistent birds that take this as a challenge. Those birds get picked up and carried around until their spirit breaks (all my chickens HATE getting picked up). That's where we're at with my hand peckers. 2 responded really well to finger-peck corrections as chicks, but the others did not, and I'm not getting into a pecking match with a feathered muppet. So if you bite me, you get picked up. Good excuse to do a health check as well.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a hen with some similar characteristics, but she generally is "nice" to me while all the biting of back and boots happens to my husband. She likes being picked up and carried around. But difference is, I don't crouch around her, and when I pick her up I just groom her beard and muffs and then place her on a roost, so she can't turn around and peck me if she's thinking about it. Whereas hubby does crouch in front of her or puts her on the ground after picking her up and petting her back (which she doesn't like) so I think his crouching makes him a smaller target and she's irritated with him touching her on the back.

Ironically her name is Cuddlebug...

 

[gtaus]

I have had chickens for 5 years. All laying hens. Maybe 30 different birds during that time. I don't raise them as pets. My chickens generally run away from me, unless, of course, I have bucket of kitchen scraps or other treats, then they tend to mob me at my feet. Funny how food in the hand makes them so much more "friendly."

I don't have any advice in regard to your situation, just signing on to this thread to see what other people may have to say.