4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Janey4]

Well Naomi C is turning out to be a bit of a madam and is defo the bossy boots of the flock!!

 

She pecks at the others if they dare to get too close to her but its not been too bad so far and although its not very nice to watch, its hasnt errupted into a full blown attack.

 

I know they are animals and they will have a pecking order and a bit of a 'arguement' every so often, but its there anything I can do to let Naomi know that this behaviour isnt acceptable!?

 

I think I read something on her about pushing down on their back to show that you are 'Top Chicken?!'..........is this correct?!

 

Thanks!

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I have heard of holding them upside down by the feet as a way of controlling them if they are flappy and badly behaved. A chicken expert I was speaking to this morning said it can also help if they are bullying. They don't really like it so it brings them down a peg or two. May be worth a shot?

 

Or chase it round with a box of Paxo (Joking! Joking!)

 

Anna

[BeckyBoo]

 

Or chase it round with a box of Paxo (Joking! Joking!)

 

Anna

 

 

Mrs B

[bokbokbok]

The Paxo made me chortle too

 

My Hetty is a bossy boots and if I am sitting within arm's length of her I will *smack her bottom* which really means that the tips of my fingers sometimes brush two feathers as she sidesteps my *swing*.

 

This really makes my colleague in work laugh when I tell her I had to *smack Hetty's bottom* as Hetty is named after her MUM!

 

I don't think Hetty even notices me telling her off although I do try to lift her up for cuddles a little more to make her see that I am top chook . . I'll let you know how I get on with that!

[Guest]

from what you've said it just sounds like normal chicken behaviour and I don't think you should intervene to be honest. There has to be a top hen and it sounds like she's going to be 'it'.

 

Unless it gets really bad and/or if there is any blood drawn, just let them get on with it.

[Janey4]

from what you've said it just sounds like normal chicken behaviour and I don't think you should intervene to be honest. There has to be a top hen and it sounds like she's going to be 'it'.

 

Unless it gets really bad and/or if there is any blood drawn, just let them get on with it.

 

Thought so but its not likely to get any worse is it?! Does it usually get better with time? -not that she is being particularly terrible but I just dont want it to get any worse!

[Guest]

Thought so but its not likely to get any worse is it?! Does it usually get better with time? -not that she is being particularly terrible but I just dont want it to get any worse!

 

early days yet if you only got them on friday, just monitor them and see how it goes, if it gets any worse then you can start to employ some of the tactics posted on here, there's another thread running about bullying on here so have a look at that one too.

 

I wouldn't intervene at this stage though.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Liking your 'wee-me', Golden Egg!

[Guest]

Liking your 'wee-me', Golden Egg!

 

ooooooooooo, I'm a golden egg, hadn't even noticed that!

[dancing cloud]

I found a water pistol useful - won't hurt anyone, but they don't like it. My little bully Hope used to get squirted, as did Clover when she blocked the entrance to the pop-hole and wouldn't let the others go to bed. Now I only need to show it to them and rarely need to actually use it.

 

If Hope jumps on one of the others and I can't get to the water pistol, I pick her up and tell her "time-out, Hope-hen". It lets the other hen get up and run away, and Hope doesn't like being picked up or held.

 

Maybe worth a try so Naomi doesn't grow up acting like her namesake (maybe somene should have tried the water pistol on the original Naomi-madam )