Today a chicken went for my head

[bobk]

I have 9 pullets about 8 months old now mostly RIR's with a couple of EE's for some color. I am a first time urban flock raiser and am having a lot of fun. But something happened today and I don't know if I should be worried or not so any insight would be great.
We are in Chicago and during the cold days my wife usually brings them out a little oatmeal of something warm around 7ish in the morning.
Today she had to work early so I went to open up the coop and bring them their treat. I always make noise and say good morning before opening the door so I don't startle them. I have a full height walk in type coop. Today I did that and when I opened the door to go in there was still one red on the roost. When I went in the bird flew right for my head and clawed me pretty good. If I wasn't wearing glasses it would have scratched my eye. She did knock my glasses off and broke them.

This has never happened before and I will now certainly make sure all the birds are down before the wife or I go in. I certainly don't blame the birds, they usually run to my feet and follow me everywhere. Even f they hear my voice they get excited.

~~So I guess I am writing this partly as a warning for other newbies and partly looking for any advice

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I have several chickens who will fly at me to be held. Does said chicken like to be held? Or maybe she was jumping of the roost and you were in her way?

 

[bobk]

I really handled them a lot and socialized them as they where growing so yes they are used to be handled and most of them like it. This may be the one who pecks at my wife when she goes to fetch eggs so I cant help but think she was laying in wait for me, lol. I mean it was a beeline right for my head and not the usual circular flight they make off the roost

 

[spikennipper]

Yes it sounds like an accident rather than an act of aggression, chickens are heavy flyers and cannot manoeuvre themselves well, I take it she didn't continue to attack you on the ground and hasn't attacked anyone before?

 

[Judy]

I'm sorry that happened to you!

I suspect she was startled. Maybe she was asleep, or "half asleep." Some hatchery birds also seem to be more "flighty" and even aggressive than others. The RIR's or "production reds" seem to be in this group, from what I've read here, as well as my own experience. (All mine are hatchery or home hatched mutts.)

Your experience is certainly a good precautionary story , especially for people with children. In the end, they are wild animals, little dinosaurs, and we need to be a bit on guard.

 

[bobk]

no she hit the ground and started eating with the rest right away. This city boy has now learned to make sure they are all off roost before going into the coop from now on. I always make noise and talk to them when I approach the door so they know it is me and I can hear the excited clucks. They really are loving animals. loving animals with razor sharp talons, I look like Freddy Krueger now

 

[realsis]

Oh my goodnees! I'm sorry this happened! It will help others to be more cautious though when they approach the roost! My birds are silkies and rather than roost mine sleep in a big pile in their shavings on the ground. Still im cautious not to startle them. Thank you for sharing your story!

 

[bobk]

So I figured I will update after a couple of days of observation. Every morning when one of us goes out to toss out some scratch/oatmeal etc, all but one of the birds is already on the floor waiting for it. But the same red always sits and waits at the edge of the roost and as soon as the door opens she makes a flight beeline right for the head of whoever is coming in, claws first. She then goes to the ground and eats with the rest of them. Luckily I have 2 doors on the coop, the outer wood door and a jerry rigged screen door I made. So now our SOP is we either wait behind the screen door until she is down or just crack the screen and drop in the scratch.

I am beginning to wonder if I have a non crowing rooster as the birds are all 7-1/2 months old and all but one is laying. But it appears this is excited behavior more so than aggressiveness as the bird acts normally all throughout the day.
I guess only time will tell. But as someone pointed out this is something any newbie, especially with kids, and a walk in coop should be aware of.