Hello!
We are new to chickens and moved our first batch of chicks to their coop a couple weeks ago. We have three gold sex links and two white plymouth rocks that are about 6 weeks old. My question is about one pullet in particular... One of our golds. Since moving them out to the coop, she's already taken on the role of the leader (which I thought seemed early... is it early?). While the other chicks are content to go about their business in the run, she's always more concerned with what we're doing. And she seems to be the one to dictate when everyone goes in and out of the coop (because it's always together, all or nothing LOL). She is never mean to the other chicks nor my husband and two young boys. They can all pick her up, and she's sweet as can be. But she does NOT like me. If I'm changing the water/feeder, she'll peck at my hand. Yesterday I went into the run and just squatted down to watch them, she came up behind me and started pecking at my lower back. And once when I was watching them from outside the fence, and she tried to fly up at me. I kind of smack her away (more like a push) any time she does this, but obviously she doesn't seem to be deterred. I guess my question is why?? I don't get it. It seems like a silly question to me, but is she trying to throw me into the pecking order because I'm female? Do I just keep pushing her away? It's only me she does this to.
We are new to chickens and moved our first batch of chicks to their coop a couple weeks ago. We have three gold sex links and two white plymouth rocks that are about 6 weeks old. My question is about one pullet in particular... One of our golds. Since moving them out to the coop, she's already taken on the role of the leader (which I thought seemed early... is it early?). While the other chicks are content to go about their business in the run, she's always more concerned with what we're doing. And she seems to be the one to dictate when everyone goes in and out of the coop (because it's always together, all or nothing LOL). She is never mean to the other chicks nor my husband and two young boys. They can all pick her up, and she's sweet as can be. But she does NOT like me. If I'm changing the water/feeder, she'll peck at my hand. Yesterday I went into the run and just squatted down to watch them, she came up behind me and started pecking at my lower back. And once when I was watching them from outside the fence, and she tried to fly up at me. I kind of smack her away (more like a push) any time she does this, but obviously she doesn't seem to be deterred. I guess my question is why?? I don't get it. It seems like a silly question to me, but is she trying to throw me into the pecking order because I'm female? Do I just keep pushing her away? It's only me she does this to.
