So my black jersey giant, Loco, is the biggest of my girls. She's pretty obviously the head hen (no rooster) and as I have never had a jersey giant before, I was wondering about her pecking. She was the first to warm up and eat our of my hand, but she pecks REALLY hard when she gets her hand fed treats and kind of bites. I know she's not trying to hurt me, just get at the yummy treats in my hand, but I wanted to make sure this really hard pecking with a bite is normal. My EE and BLRWs also eat from my hand but then are quite gentle, I hardly feel them when they get their treats.
I was also wondering if the hard pecking, if it's not just normal for such a large bird, could be the result of her Head Hen status? She pecks at my other girls to get her favorite dust bath spot and whenever there is food or treats available and she wants to be the first, or only.
There's also one hen in particular, FilA (Chick-fil-A) my BR, she is super tiny compared to my other girls and seems pretty obviously to be at the bottom of the pecking order. She is terrified of everything, hardly ever comes out of the small run for free ranging in the mornings and afternoons when I let them out, and always seems to be on her belly. She runs normally, but if she is around any of the other hens, she kind of waddles/scoots with her feet sticking out to the side a little, her wings slightly held away from her body, her head stretched straight forward and her belly super close to the ground. She also holds this position when Loco pecks at her naked butt. She just holds still and takes it. I have ordered her an apron so she doesn't get hurt, but I want to make sure she is ok.
I was also wondering if the hard pecking, if it's not just normal for such a large bird, could be the result of her Head Hen status? She pecks at my other girls to get her favorite dust bath spot and whenever there is food or treats available and she wants to be the first, or only.
There's also one hen in particular, FilA (Chick-fil-A) my BR, she is super tiny compared to my other girls and seems pretty obviously to be at the bottom of the pecking order. She is terrified of everything, hardly ever comes out of the small run for free ranging in the mornings and afternoons when I let them out, and always seems to be on her belly. She runs normally, but if she is around any of the other hens, she kind of waddles/scoots with her feet sticking out to the side a little, her wings slightly held away from her body, her head stretched straight forward and her belly super close to the ground. She also holds this position when Loco pecks at her naked butt. She just holds still and takes it. I have ordered her an apron so she doesn't get hurt, but I want to make sure she is ok.
