tips for helping a chicken who is always pissed off???

[maeklucky]

she's very broody and the designated egg watcher tm and i steal her eggs every morning and she nips at me and fluffs up real big. These aren't just warning pecks either!!! she goes in for the kill. I want to try and find a way to get on better terms with her. We tried letting her hatch her own eggs once but she wasn't cut out for it.

 

[FunClucks]

I'd wear heavy work gloves so she can't hurt you, and try and break her broodiness so she quits attacking. The broody hormones are what is causing this behavior. There's some good articles in the learning center on breaking a broody if you need them.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

If you do a forum search on "Broody Jail," there are many good suggestions. Jail works everytime for mine. It can take a few days but they do need to cool off, get the hormones gone and simmer down....

 

[JPadronMiami]

she's very broody and the designated egg watcher tm and i steal her eggs every morning and she nips at me and fluffs up real big. These aren't just warning pecks either!!! she goes in for the kill. I want to try and find a way to get on better terms with her. We tried letting her hatch her own eggs once but she wasn't cut out for it.

oh boy thats a problem, have you tried using a dark hand towel over her head? I dont let my hens brood but it just seems like this time of year a few of them do this, particularly my Australorp's, I usually pick them up from the nest and put them with the rest of the flock in the run so they can eat and drink water, however as soon as they can make their way back into the hen house, back in the box they go, by then I've picked up the eggs, mine peck mildly, but they puf up like a pillow and "complain"

 

[maeklucky]

ill try that her pecking don't hurt none really but shes pretty vocal about not wanting her eggs stolen. I definitely worry she doesn't eat/drink enough so it might be worth it to toss her out of the box once per day at least.

 

[maeklucky]

I'd wear heavy work gloves so she can't hurt you, and try and break her broodiness so she quits attacking. The broody hormones are what is causing this behavior. There's some good articles in the learning center on breaking a broody if you need them.

i usually just cover my hands with my sleeves but I don't really need too even her pecking at her hardest she ain't never hurt me so much as I tend to flinch anyway lol. I fear if I put her in broody jail she might just resent me more though I've been caring for her for well over a year now and she's never been much a fan of me Mostly cuz I'm the only one brave enough to take her eggs I think.

 

[maeklucky]

I'd wear heavy work gloves so she can't hurt you, and try and break her broodiness so she quits attacking. The broody hormones are what is causing this behavior. There's some good articles in the learning center on breaking a broody if you need them.

it kinda feels like shes always been broody though??? I've known this hen for a while and she definitely has her seasons when she's moodier but she's downright ornery always.

 

[JPadronMiami]

ill try that her pecking don't hurt none really but she's pretty vocal about not wanting her eggs stolen. I definitely worry she doesn't eat/drink enough so it might be worth it to toss her out of the box once per day at least.

on my flock, my process, tends to shorten that broodiness phase, i tried locking them up in kennels inside the henhouse, and I tried dipping them in cool water, it may take a little longer too work but how I do it but soon enuf they get the idea, on a separate question, what method do you use to clean your eggs? rinse under faucet in warm water, or submerge the eggs in a bucket with warm water for 10 minutes.have 62 chickens so i pick up a decent amount of eggs

 

[FrostRanger]

i usually just cover my hands with my sleeves but I don't really need too even her pecking at her hardest she ain't never hurt me so much as I tend to flinch anyway lol. I fear if I put her in broody jail she might just resent me more though I've been caring for her for well over a year now and she's never been much a fan of me Mostly cuz I'm the only one brave enough to take her eggs I think.

She won't resent you for breaking her and letting her sit if you don't intend to let her hatch can cause her to lose condition and some hens will even starve themselves to death, even if the majority of hens won't, the loss of condition can cause her to be more vulnerable to other illnesses so if you don't want her to hatch I'd strongly recommend breaking her

 

[FunClucks]

it kinda feels like shes always been broody though??? I've known this hen for a while and she definitely has her seasons when she's moodier but she's downright ornery always.

If her attitude or behavior is constant and creating contention in the flock, and making your chickening experience unpleasant, I'd consider rehoming her. The other option is eating her. She may do better with an owner that has a different style of management, or roll away nest boxes or something.

You can try feeding her treats, but that may or may not work. Those broody hormones are the same ones she feels when she lays eggs (to a lesser extent). Makes her aggressive to people trying to take my eggs. I only have one hen out of 20 like this, I just wait for her to leave the nest box before I collect her eggs. There's really not a way to change that that I know of