People aggressive BO

[JesseK]

I'm not sure what's going on with my Buff Orp. She is about 15 weeks old...and has started attacking me. Last weekend we clipped all the chicken's wings, and when I went to go back into the run to grab the scizzors I had forgotten, she ran up and kicked me. I thought at the time that she was just mad that I had picked her up and clipped her wings. She has always been the tamest and most friendly of our chicks - so I'm really confused. All week any time I've gone into the run she has run up and bawked at me, pecked my toes, and fluffed her feathers. I noticed today that she was kicking the rest of the chickens - kind of running over them. Is she just trying to include me in the pecking order? She has not seemed to be top hen in the past. I'm including a pic just in case I'm way off base and she's a rooster or something.

Is there anything I can do to get her to back off?
So here is naughty Mable:

 

[Impress]

That MIGHT be a rooster, but if not it sounds like you have become a chicken to her, and she is fighting to be top hen. I peck back the naughty ones using my finger as a beak and dance sideways at them to convince them I am a rooster. (DO NOT DO THIS WITH A ROOSTER, THEY WILL GET ORNERY!)

Wow, I sound like a crazy person. You ask for advice and I tell you to have a beak for a finger and dance. Works for me though!

 

[JesseK]

Thanks for the feedback! Maybe I should post the pics in the gender forum. I would hate to get attacked mid-MC Hammer shuffle

I really appreciate the suggestion, I gave up not trying to sound like a crazy person long ago. Ha!

 

[JesseK]

Sooo....I have been trying to assert my dominance over this bird, and it has not been working! If I am in the pen - she is attacking me. A couple nights ago she ran up and kicked me with both of her feet. I have tried dancing at her, pecking her, it just gets her more riled up. I had a man who I buy eggs from take a look and he said she is a hen. Does anyone have more suggestions of what I should be doing? I have a long skinny stick that I bring in with me, and if I wave it around she runs away...but this is not a very peaceful situation!

 

[JesseK]

Bump?

 

[Kassaundra]

I do not have any specific experience, but was thinking about her age, before they start to lay sometimes they get a little more flighty and independent, then settle down after they start laying, maybe this is what is going on, just more severe in her case???

 

[JesseK]

That's interesting. I hope so! I should also say that she is really only this aggressive with me. She is pretty much fine with my boyfriend and his kids. Only pecks a little at their feet. But she goes all out with me

 

[Hezz]

If one of my girls get out of line with the pecking or biting, I peck her back with my finger, and then pick her up immediately and walk around with her until she calms down. As I'm holding her, I pet her head and rub her chin under her beak. I talk to her until she's actually making little happy noises at me. Once I put her down she's fine.

I've never had one of my girls attack me like you said, kicking and such, but I'd imagine the same thing would work. You're just showing her that YOU are the dominant "hen", and she WILL do what you want her to do. LOL!

Hope this helps you out some.


OH and BTW, that's a pullet.

 

[woodsman23]

give it a bump in the *** and see if she changes her way