Suddenly aggressive Easter Egger

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fuzzyfarmer

Chirping
Mar 9, 2021
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I got 6 one-day-old Easter Egger chicks 12 weeks ago. Well, it looks like 2 are probably boys. We started looking into rehoming them (not allowed to have roosters where we live) but in the past week or so, one of them ("Bernice" AKA Bernard) has suddenly become extremely aggressive towards one of our hens, Atilla. Atilla, as far as I can tell, is not the lowest-ranking hen (that would be her sister, Camilla). I don't know why, but Bernice/Bernard will run up to her and attack her neck, thrashing and pulling feathers, completely unprovoked (as far as I can tell, not being a chicken and this being my first time keeping chickens).

Is this normal chicken "pecking order" behavior or is this unusual aggression/feather-pulling/cannibalism? Is this the beginning of male hormones kicking in? Seems a bit early for that though? Should we separate Bernice/Bernard immediately (is Atilla in danger? there hasn't been blood so far...) He is headed for a greener pastures upstate on Friday.
 
fuzzyfarmer said:
I got 6 one-day-old Easter Egger chicks 12 weeks ago. Well, it looks like 2 are probably boys. We started looking into rehoming them (not allowed to have roosters where we live) but in the past week or so, one of them ("Bernice" AKA Bernard) has suddenly become extremely aggressive towards one of our hens, Atilla. Atilla, as far as I can tell, is not the lowest-ranking hen (that would be her sister, Camilla). I don't know why, but Bernice/Bernard will run up to her and attack her neck, thrashing and pulling feathers, completely unprovoked (as far as I can tell, not being a chicken and this being my first time keeping chickens).

Is this normal chicken "pecking order" behavior or is this unusual aggression/feather-pulling/cannibalism? Is this the beginning of male hormones kicking in? Seems a bit early for that though? Should we separate Bernice/Bernard immediately (is Atilla in danger? there hasn't been blood so far...) He is headed for a greener pastures upstate on Friday.
Click to expand...
sounds like the males are trying to mate...
 
cherrynberry said:
it is a little on the early side...do the males try to get on top of the hen?
Click to expand...
No, "Bernice" just grabs Atilla by the neck and rips out feathers. Atilla screams bloody murder and runs away so it's possible any attempt at mounting is thwarted. I haven't seen other breeding behavior like tidbiting but I guess if raging hormones are kicking in early it could be a little jumbled up. Or maybe Bernice is just a bully.

"Priscilla," our other suspected male, doesn't attack anyone. "Bernice" acts like the big boss over all the others. Bit of a tyrant, really.
 
fuzzyfarmer said:
No, "Bernice" just grabs Atilla by the neck and rips out feathers. Atilla screams bloody murder and runs away so it's possible any attempt at mounting is thwarted. I haven't seen other breeding behavior like tidbiting but I guess if raging hormones are kicking in early it could be a little jumbled up. Or maybe Bernice is just a bully.

"Priscilla," our other suspected male, doesn't attack anyone. "Bernice" acts like the big boss over all the others. Bit of a tyrant, really.
Click to expand...
Just make sure she doesn’t end up with a bunch of missing feathers, and watch for anything else...
 
fuzzyfarmer said:
No, "Bernice" just grabs Atilla by the neck and rips out feathers. Atilla screams bloody murder and runs away so it's possible any attempt at mounting is thwarted. I haven't seen other breeding behavior like tidbiting but I guess if raging hormones are kicking in early it could be a little jumbled up. Or maybe Bernice is just a bully.

"Priscilla," our other suspected male, doesn't attack anyone. "Bernice" acts like the big boss over all the others. Bit of a tyrant, really.
Click to expand...
One of my 8 week old hamburgs is already cutting a wing at my campines lol.
 

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