beginnergirl
Songster
Please help me understand why my barred rock who just started laying is being mean all the sudden. Could she be hormonal? She is suddenly pecking viciously at both other pullers on the roost and starting to chase them away when I have treats.
My pullets are 20~21 weeks. A BR, EE and SLW. Bought the SLW and EE together as several day old chicks. Then got the BR chick a week later. BR was always at the bottom of the pecking order but has been on top for many months. All roosted together from the beginning and still do.
I think I may have caused this by giving the BR's favorite treat to the others? I have been calling each pullet by name and giving a treat for coming every day since they were chicks. The EE and SLW knew their names. BR girl comes to every name and will snatch food away from others. I try to close my hand and give treat to the one I call. Then I throw out lots of lower value treats. There is usually no problem with grain or greens but BR is so aware and FAST she often gets most of the fruit and seed treats. I try to hand feed so each gets some.
Pecking earlier that I witnessed has been one light tap and wasn't concerning. Problem with mean pecking began when I decided to see if I could trim nails as a few looked a little long. I was SO proud of myself. I trimmed 2-3 nails on 2 of the girls by myself. Had never done it. No struggling. Girls had no issue with my holding their feet. They just sat on my lap, my one arm over their back and holding one toe. The clipping with other hand. Had a large tomato from the garden so held each bird as they did not struggle and let them eat the tomato out of my hand as a reward. These two girls hardly ever get tomatoes.
My BR is INSANE about tomatoes. Is so fast that often she will get ALL the tomatoes even when scattered over a 20' area. She also jumps up and grabs them out of my hand.
I guess she probably saw the other two eating the tomato and within 10 minutes, all returned to the coop. BR started pecking the others hard over and over. She wouldn't stop.
I put her in the run for a few minutes but she started squawking loudly. She HATES to be isolated and of all my chickens is the most vocal. Spent 30 minutes trying to monitor them. She settled down.
Last night I only gave tomatoes to her. She perched on my arm and ate. Then in the coop the other chickens tried nervously roosting in the run for the first time. That only lasted a few minutes before they headed to the coop. Then the other two huddled on one end of the roost. Coop is 18 sq feet with 2 roosts, each 3'. Girls always roost on the narrower lower roost. So last night BR started pecking at SLW. EE tried to hide under SLW. I opened coop, yelled at BR. Things settled down though both other girls crammed together on the same roost away from BR looking stressed. Checked them in 20 minutes and all quiet and huddled together.
Not sure what to. Don't want anyone to get hurt. Also notice now the BR is in the yard away from others. Three are together at times but used to always be together when free ranging.
Any insight appreciated. I do no understand chicken behavior. THANK YOU in advance.
My pullets are 20~21 weeks. A BR, EE and SLW. Bought the SLW and EE together as several day old chicks. Then got the BR chick a week later. BR was always at the bottom of the pecking order but has been on top for many months. All roosted together from the beginning and still do.
I think I may have caused this by giving the BR's favorite treat to the others? I have been calling each pullet by name and giving a treat for coming every day since they were chicks. The EE and SLW knew their names. BR girl comes to every name and will snatch food away from others. I try to close my hand and give treat to the one I call. Then I throw out lots of lower value treats. There is usually no problem with grain or greens but BR is so aware and FAST she often gets most of the fruit and seed treats. I try to hand feed so each gets some.
Pecking earlier that I witnessed has been one light tap and wasn't concerning. Problem with mean pecking began when I decided to see if I could trim nails as a few looked a little long. I was SO proud of myself. I trimmed 2-3 nails on 2 of the girls by myself. Had never done it. No struggling. Girls had no issue with my holding their feet. They just sat on my lap, my one arm over their back and holding one toe. The clipping with other hand. Had a large tomato from the garden so held each bird as they did not struggle and let them eat the tomato out of my hand as a reward. These two girls hardly ever get tomatoes.
My BR is INSANE about tomatoes. Is so fast that often she will get ALL the tomatoes even when scattered over a 20' area. She also jumps up and grabs them out of my hand.
I guess she probably saw the other two eating the tomato and within 10 minutes, all returned to the coop. BR started pecking the others hard over and over. She wouldn't stop.
I put her in the run for a few minutes but she started squawking loudly. She HATES to be isolated and of all my chickens is the most vocal. Spent 30 minutes trying to monitor them. She settled down.
Last night I only gave tomatoes to her. She perched on my arm and ate. Then in the coop the other chickens tried nervously roosting in the run for the first time. That only lasted a few minutes before they headed to the coop. Then the other two huddled on one end of the roost. Coop is 18 sq feet with 2 roosts, each 3'. Girls always roost on the narrower lower roost. So last night BR started pecking at SLW. EE tried to hide under SLW. I opened coop, yelled at BR. Things settled down though both other girls crammed together on the same roost away from BR looking stressed. Checked them in 20 minutes and all quiet and huddled together.
Not sure what to. Don't want anyone to get hurt. Also notice now the BR is in the yard away from others. Three are together at times but used to always be together when free ranging.
Any insight appreciated. I do no understand chicken behavior. THANK YOU in advance.
