Psycho Hen

[heatherlaw]

Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to make her into a tasty chicken dinner then. I'd rather not deal with an attitude like that. Nobody likes a tyrant.

 

[heatherlaw]

Has anyone else ever dealt with aggression like this in a hen? Roosters sure, but hens are usually so much more docile.

 

[centrarchid]

You handled it correct. I have no idea what the above person was saying but it is a very bad idea to ignore the attack. When she is attacking you, she is imaging you are another chicken that is a part of the pecking order. She is trying to establish herself over you in the order. By letting her attack you, you are letting her dominate you. This is very bad, as it encourages this behavior from her. If you let her get away with this, it wont stop. So don't ignore it. Let her know that you are in charge. Don't be abusive, but it is ok to put her in her place. I never had a hen that bad, but if a rooster is doing it, I will give him a kick. If a bird is attacking you, they deserve it. And trust me, it works. Unlike ignoring the attack and just perpetuating the behavior, this shows the chicken that you are in charge. The roo that is currently in with my hens is one of the meanest you will ever see, but every time he attacks, I give him a swift kick, and he backs off. Even the meanest bird will show you respect if he knows you're in charge. 


Never ever ever ignore this behavior. By ignoring it you are encouraging an extremely undesirable behavior. 

When she attacks but can not get a response, she will not come away from the effort feeling dominant. Attacking her or recoiling inserts you into the pecking order. This problem of aggressive birds I so rarely have even though I have a good number and have had them over many years. Therefore, I am doing something correctly. The experts out there have a lot more experience with aggressive birds even though with smaller flocks and a lot more time with them. They also fight with their birds.

 

[donrae]

I'd say just leave her with your mom and see how things go. It may have been a one-off, and never happen again. If that's the case, enjoy her eggs and life will be good. If she attacks again, off with her head.