Chicken bald back

[Lynseynichol]

Hi everyone

Please can someone offer some advice!!! We have two hens, Bobbi and Mavis, they are coming up to one year old, we hatched them ourselves, and reared them from chicks, there were four originally, two were cockerels. They lay an egg a day each and they're healthy. They are mixed breed one seems more light Sussex one seems more buff Orpington but we get blue eggs off Bobbi, they're a bit of all sorts. They were having free run of the garden for most of the day but they are getting so aggressive, Bobbi really, my dogs terrified of them, my three year old daughter is really very very good with them not pestering them at all, she used to enjoy holding them when they wanted attention but recently she's had two hard pecks on back of legs breaking skin and leaving bruise. When we are in the garden they are attacking out legs, flapping at us etc, I can pick them up no problem and they' seem happy to be held still but as soon as I put them down they're back at it. I read they might b after more attention so I've tried making sure I pick Bobbi up when I first let them out but it's not helping. I really don't want to keep them restricted to a run but we do need to use our garden too. Any advice greatly appreciated! ....also they crouch and hunch shoulders when you bend to pick them up, I was told this was to show you your boss but they're not acting like it!!!

[Beantree]

The crouching is to be trodden by a cockerel Lynsynichol and is common behaviour in laying hens. None of ours do it to me because they all have a cockerel in with them.

 

They do sound rather aggressive. They are simply defending their territory as a chicken flock will and I think you have to pen them when your daughter is out.

[Egluntyne]

If you are in the habit of feeding them treats, they will come to expect it every time and will be mugging you for extras. If this is the case, I would stop any treats, except for the handful of corn used to lure them back into their run.

[Millie-Annie]

You could try a water spray every time they peck. I use it when going through the introductions.

[Lynseynichol]

Ah thank u all for your advice, egluntyne u may be on to something, we are always giving them kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s so they might just be demanding more. I'll cut them out n c how it goes. Maybe I could make sure any kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s they're getting are in their run before they come put of the coop each morning so aren't coming directly from us. I feel foolish for not thinking of this water spray may help too and I'll keep them away from my daughter hopefully just till we sort out the issue. Thank u all again!

[gavclojak]

I would maybe let them fill up with pellets/mash in the morning then let them have any treats later in the afternoon so they are getting all the nutrients they need from the pellets.