Why is my Hen screaming at me?

[B-Goock]

Hubby does the main work with them, but I try to spend time each day giving them treats etc so they know I'm part of the team.

Maybe she's just in a fowl mood.... haha
I would just treat her like a roo would. Are they doing the mating squat yet? You could just put your hand on her back and just jiggle her around a little like when a roo mounts. That'll assert dominance.
If no roos are present then alot of times the dominant hen will assume the role of flock protector and the top of the pecking order.

 

[HayzN]

Maybe she's just in a fowl mood.... haha
I would just treat her like a roo would. Are they doing the mating squat yet? You could just put your hand on her back and just jiggle her around a little like when a roo mounts. That'll assert dominance.
If no roos are present then alot of times the dominant hen will assume the role of flock protector and the top of the pecking order.

I'll give that a try. See what happens

 

[aart]

Not quite the same scenario.....but, still.....
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.

 

[HayzN]

My screamer laid her first egg this morning. She was in the coop for quite a while whilst my Orpington sat out in the run by herself which is unusual behaviour for them. Normally where one is, so is the other. So I had a feeling she was laying. Pretty sure my Orpington laid her first egg yesterday.

When I saw she'd came out of her coop I popped in to collect the egg. As soon as I walked in she presented herself to me, so I gave her a back ruffle. Hoping we can be friends now that's happened. I'll keep you up to date.

 

[HayzN]

She has now started laying and has calmed down quite a bit.

However, when she is laying my Orpington was getting lonely causing her to have difficulty laying because she would go and bug her. We decided to go buy another one yesterday to keep whichever one isn't laying at a given point company.

I got my Black Copper Maran that I was looking for when we got the other two. But she's much younger and they bully her so for now she's in a caged off area in the run. She's so adorable. Here's a picture after she hopped off the coop and into me hood earlier.