So I have one chicken who is just so mean!!!
I thought maybe it was my fault since they outgrew their spaces quickly but even the few times I have let them free range she is mean!
She flies out of nowhere and attacks the others, usually over food but often for seemingly no reason.
She is a Black Australorp and seems to mostly pick on my poor Buff Orpingtons. We have 8 chickens.
The weird thing is sometimes she and the others seem to get along but I am sure they are stressed out.
For instance, I was holding an Orpington the other day and she came out of nowhere and pecked her hard on the head! I shooed her off then gave chase. She ran away but later came back and did it again. Gave chase again. The poor Orp then settled into my lap and did not want to leave once she realized I would protect her.
I think it is just one chicken but we have 2 Black Australorps so I can't really tell for sure. I can tell them apart now though so will watch.
They are only 24 or 25 weeks old.
I want to see how she behaves in the new, much bigger coop and run, but if she wont change I don't want to.
She also consistently pecks me (so do the others so not sure if mean or not) and has pecked me on the elbow and drawn a bit of blood, on the gums last week, and in my eye today.
My dad wants to kill her. Literally.
If we do that, should I wait for her to grow out some more or just kill her ASAP?
I am reluctant because she does seem scared of me, maybe because I bully her sometimes, but I have been trying to be nice to her for a while now and she hasn't changed.
But they are supposed to be the best layers but I feel she is causing stress in the flock.
We also have another one so I don't know if I should cull both since sometimes they gang up but I really think it is majority one chicken.
I love them all but should I just cull her?
I thought maybe it was my fault since they outgrew their spaces quickly but even the few times I have let them free range she is mean!
She flies out of nowhere and attacks the others, usually over food but often for seemingly no reason.
She is a Black Australorp and seems to mostly pick on my poor Buff Orpingtons. We have 8 chickens.
The weird thing is sometimes she and the others seem to get along but I am sure they are stressed out.
For instance, I was holding an Orpington the other day and she came out of nowhere and pecked her hard on the head! I shooed her off then gave chase. She ran away but later came back and did it again. Gave chase again. The poor Orp then settled into my lap and did not want to leave once she realized I would protect her.
I think it is just one chicken but we have 2 Black Australorps so I can't really tell for sure. I can tell them apart now though so will watch.
They are only 24 or 25 weeks old.
I want to see how she behaves in the new, much bigger coop and run, but if she wont change I don't want to.
She also consistently pecks me (so do the others so not sure if mean or not) and has pecked me on the elbow and drawn a bit of blood, on the gums last week, and in my eye today.
My dad wants to kill her. Literally.
If we do that, should I wait for her to grow out some more or just kill her ASAP?
I am reluctant because she does seem scared of me, maybe because I bully her sometimes, but I have been trying to be nice to her for a while now and she hasn't changed.
But they are supposed to be the best layers but I feel she is causing stress in the flock.
We also have another one so I don't know if I should cull both since sometimes they gang up but I really think it is majority one chicken.
I love them all but should I just cull her?