Pecking me

[gram]

I have 5, 1 year old red sex links. One bird, the pecked on one, will fly to the defense of any of the others if I need to handle them, and give me a peck that breaks the skin. Otherwise she is fine. I once put my hand on the back of the one that pecked her, only to have her attack me. My black sex links never did this. Any ideas what is going on?

 

[chickenlittle21]

She might be stressed

 

[aart]

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.