Why does my hen attack me when...

[Sobek]

I have a 1year old bantam. She's follows me everywhere. My other bantam doesn't like her either so she doesn't have anyone but me to really socialize with. I have a rir chicken that gets super snappy when I'm holding my bantam to the point where she tries to attack or she gives a mean look with means sounds. If I deflect or swat her away she starts fighting with me!!! she bites, flaps, everything as long as I'm holding the bantam. When I put the bantam down she acts normal again.

Today I was "fighting" her off (I don't hurt her I just swat my hand or gently tap her beak away from me and the bantam and then she attacks me) and all of my other chickens ran over started to square up with my RiR and eventually started to fight her! it wasn't until I was like hey! hey!!! that the other hens stopped.

Why does my chicken fight me like that? I'm not being aggressive or hurting her so she's in no danger to act that way.
Why did my other chickens start to fight her? Was it "peer pressure" because they thought I was attacking my hen?

 

[azygous]

None of the above.

A chicken will sometimes take advantage of a chicken being held and "confined" as being vulnerable. It's not you the RIR is attacking, but the bantam that is being confined or restrained, as the RIR sees it through her lens.

If you will take time to observe, the RIR probably has a conflict of sorts with this particular bantam and looks at it as an opportunity to get a few hits at her when she sees you're holding her and she can't flee.

If you squat down to the level of the RIR while holding the bantam, you will probably see her try to attack the little hen in your arms. But be prepared to shield the little gal from the attack when it comes.

 

[aart]

Today I was "fighting" her off (I don't hurt her I just swat my hand or gently tap her beak away from me and the bantam and then she attacks me)

Peck her back!

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.