Shes not sweet anymore!

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

I have two roosters and both are sweet. After her two weeks in the kennel for everyone to see her and she them, I released her. The rooster that's with the flock did lunge at her a lot, he's very protective but not aggressive. He's a Japanese bantam. But she's been qith the flock now for about a month and things have claimed down. However she's still aggressive!

Well, I hate to say this, but there are only a few great options for your future:
1. Eat a nice dinner.
2. Find a place to rehome this hen.
3. Pay $100 every year in first aid supplies while the evil hen hurts you.

 

[onwingandhoof]

I am no expert but I suspect she thinks she's your equal or that you are part of her flock and she is trying to establish the pecking order with you. Animals are animals and have to know their place. Dogs who sleep in peoples' beds and eat off their plates think they are higher up in the pack order than they actually are (or should be). I imagine its the same with chickens though I've never raised one in the house to know. I do know chickens and dogs all have their own personalities so peoples' experience will vary but being allowed to perch on you might have given her the idea that she is your boss. Just my two cents. Might not be worth that lol

Oh wow.... I've raised and had chickens now for almost ten years. I never gave that a thought. But you sound very right. She could think she's above me. I've given her plenty of opportunities to think that. Regardless, I still love her. She's with the big flock now, still a bitch. She's not allowed on our shoulders but she's still allowed on our laps as long as she behaves. Thank you so much for your words! I actually thought she was brain damaged, but it sounds more like I did the damaging with her. She was incredibly spoiled. Oh well. She'll always be here with me regardless.

 

[Dralix]

I agree with other posters here regarding the pecking order concept, mixed with shiney lips. But, I'd like to pose something else -- reddish/bare lips/skin. Chickens are born with a need to establish and/or learn (sometimes the hard way) their place in the pecking order. Like others said, and like you acknowledged, she probably saw herself as above you. When my girls peck me, I give them a light flick on the break and a harsh "No!" They have their internal pecking order established but know that I'm the boss (I don't have a rooster.) Also, shiney objects (e.g., glossy teeth, glistening lips, and/or white eye balls) are going to up their curiosity. Chickens peck at things about which they're curious. Again, it's an instinct that they're born with. Another thing to consider... chickens peck bare red flesh when it's exposed. They get these odd, cabalistic behaviors when they see red flesh (i.e., it triggers a behavior where they see a weakness, like in another chicken that's lost its feathers and has raw, red skin as a result) and attack that part of the chicken. If they draw blood, it's game on. They'll peck at the flesh even more. It's one of the reasons many byc'ers (not all agree on this though) will recommend the use of blu-kote on chicken wounds. It's an antiseptic and, as it dyes the chicken's skin blue, it curbs chickens' natural tendencies to peck red, exposed flesh. I use it, as it keeps my girls from going cannibalistic on each other. But, some recommend staying away from it, as it can make it hard for aviary vets and others to see anything other than blue dye when examining the bird for issues. And then, well, there are just some chickens that are sweet one day and ornery cusses the next. It's so hard to say what happened in your situation as each chicken and situation is different. It sounds like you made the right choice moving your girl outside though. With the other chickens in the hen house, she'll learn her place in the pecking order (if she hasn't already) pretty quickly. Good luck.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

How old? Broody?

 

[onwingandhoof]

Photos?

I posted pics of her. She's definitely a girl. She's already laying. I know because her first eggs were in her crate when she lived in the house. She was hatched Aprtil 17th this year. She's been coddled, loved, spoiled and cared for.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

She was hatched April 17th this year. She did get broody after her first egg lay and hasn't been broody since.

In one of the pictures on your shoulder she is all puffed up, head tucked in, looking bothered. If she isn’t broody and you are certain of that then you either need to integrate to the flock or rehome with full disclosure of behavior. She may be happy in a flock of chickens.

 

[Jenni Hen]

I've got a bantam who's developed an irrational pecking problem although I don't know that my experience would help you solve your problem. You mentioned that your hen had seizures.
My Meghan has always had little seizures that are like petit mal. I think they've got worse since late summer and she's started to be less aware of others, as if there's some dementia. One day she couldn't work out how to get into the run (she was standing next to it).

Recently she's started pecking inappropriately. When they're settling together at night she'll start pecking like an automaton and will peck me if I put my arm there. I've also seen her do this when standing in the run, just pecking at anyone who walks past.
These aren't hard pecks like those you describe but they do upset the others, especially the two newcomers who have been there for two months now -sometimes she acts as if she can't remember seeing them before.

 

[onwingandhoof]

Is 'she' laying eggs? It looks like 'she' is developing saddle feathers. The mantle feathers seem really pointy as well.

Being a Silkie cross and previous history sounds like wryneck, which Silkie roosters are more likely to develop.

She has laid eggs in her kennel when she was in the house. She is a non bearded silkie crossed with Japanese bantam. Her eggs are super tiny. She also got really broody after her first egg. She walked around the house puffed up and vocalized her irritability. She responded really well to the vitamin c remedy. No more seizures or head nodding.

 

[onwingandhoof]

The best way to avoid her pecking at your face, etc. is to be off limits.
No sitting on shoulders or near the face.
Chickens are curious at times and will peck to explore, to show dominance or ?

While some do like being cuddled when young, they can grow past that stage and get to where they aren't that keen on being handled.

She not a cuddly girl even though her mom, the silkie is. Her mom will spend as much time as you allow her to sit with you. She wasn't cuddled after she started laying. It's mostly her revenge actions that threw me off. None of the other girls we've raised or the boys are anything like that. She's the only one who has shown any tendencies for revenge and kept that anger even to today.

 

[onwingandhoof]

In one of the pictures on your shoulder she is all puffed up, head tucked in, looking bothered. If she isn’t broody and you are certain of that then you either need to integrate to the flock or rehome with full disclosure of behavior. She may be happy in a flock of chickens.

I know the picture ypure referring to. She climbed up there to nap. She stayed there for almost an hour sleeping. She mostly laid on me to nap. She was incredibly spoiled. She's been integrated into the flock now. We're super careful how close she gets to our faces. She's not allowed on our shoulders but our laps are fine as long as she behaves. I posted other pics for you.