Eglu Cube Coop and Accessories

[sleepymummy]

I bought a couple of speckeldy hens last spring. They have turned out to be the most unfriendly pair. They refuse to be handled which obviously is not a good thing. If you try and go near them they either run or turn on you. They peck my children, me, husband even if you just want to pop in and change the water. One of them came flying at my mum a few months ago feet first and had a right go - like I have only seen a protective cockrel do. (They have an open run rather than the enclosed eglu but they sleep in the eglu sleep chamber and lay in there) Marsha is the complete opposite and lovely. Easy to handle. If I need to go in I have to distract them with food but they are really not pleasant to have around.

 

Do you have any tips as to how to deal with increasingly bad tempered hens? If they continue this way, I may have to get rid of them as I can't have them attacking my children. They are only 3, 5 and 7 so a bit little to understand what's going on. I have no idea really!

 

Hoping you can help!

[Egluntyne]

I'd try handling them regularly, with gauntlets if necessary.

 

Why not lift them out of the Eglu at night when they are drowsy, and get them used to being handled that way.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Perhaps a bit of dominating behaviour from you too? Press down on their backs (if you can!). What are they like when you give them treats? Can you feed them from a small recognisable bowl so they see you as the provider of nice things?

 

It can't be pleasant, such a shame when you have young children too .

[sleepymummy]

I would like to make more of an effort but to be quite honest, I'm nervous of them too. They have broken the skin on my hand more than once.

 

I suppose the only thing to do is handle them everyday but although their run isn't massive, they are hard to catch. Marsha does that submissive crouch but I have never seen the others do that. I have tried to get them out of the house but it is quite awkward and they peck like mad if you even reach in to collect eggs in the evening. I have resorted to oven gloves before now but trying to pick up eggs wearing oven gloves is not easy! I leave it until the next morning now. The only time recently I have manged to stroke the slightly less aggressive one is when she was verging on broody and I stroked her while she was sitting.

 

They do see me a treat giver as if I ever walk past the window and they can see me, they rush to the fence. If I hang washing out they are there looking for something to eat. I give them all sorts of treats. I let them out in the garden now and again and they are always hanging around the patio door looking for tasty morsels.

 

Do I need to be very dominant as in chasing thme until I do catch them? That could take some time!

[Egluntyne]

I'm not mad keen on being pecked either, and have one hen who can be a bit mean. When I handle her, I wear an old pair of gardening gloves.

 

Good tip from ANH re the dominance thing.

[Mollie333]

My Silkie x Pekin was like this when she was 8 weeks , now laying!

i handelled her every day when she went to sleep, and if she pecked i gently, but not too gently, held her down for a few secands, call me mean- but she used to attack everything, from trees to cats! . Shes fine now, though.