My eco solution to rat problems

[GillC]

This is not exactly an ailment, as Maud seems well in herself, but I wonder if anybody has experienced anything similar and could advise what to do.

 

Maud has always been gentle and very people-friendly. She would follow me round the garden and come when called. For the past 6 months, she has become very aggressive with me. When I put my hand out to pick up a grub to fill it, she targets bare skin and pecks me hard, leaving little triangular bleeding bits. I have taken to wearing gauntlets. I take treats and corn and hand feed them to the chickens. I also pick her up and gently stroke her comb and wattles while speaking nicely to her. The other day she was jumping up to attack the sleeve of my fleece (I had pulled the sleeves down to cover my hands), so I got some corn treats and hand fed them and she seemed a little less aggressive after that.

 

Today I went down and decided to start with some corn treats by hand. Despite my hand being full of corn, Maude deliberately targeted my thumb and fastened her beak around it. Because she had such a large bit of thumb in her beak, she didn't break the skin but her bite is quite strong! I continued hand-feeding her and the others, but this didn't seem to stop the aggressive tendency.

 

I provide different sorts of treats - hentastic hanging treats, hentastic floor mounted treats (obviously not too much). Maud lives in an eglu in a 3m by 2m WIR with 2 bantam silkies. It has wood chippings on the floor. It has an eglu perching bar, a chicken swing and a piece of sleeper for them to climb on. I also have a cube with 3 bantam booted sabelpoots in it.

 

I've tried to think of what has changed. Two main things are different:

 

1. Vera the Wyandotte died about 6 months ago. Maud's aggressive behaviour started about then. I wonder whether despite the difference in their size, Vera was top chicken. Now she is gone, could Maud be trying to exert dominance (over me????). Vera was a chicken with attitude.

 

2. Due to increasing Fox risks, I am no longer leaving them out in the fenced in run when I am not in the garden. I used to leave them out if I was in the house, but I feel it is too dangerous to risk a fox attack as I'd not be able to get outside quick enough. This means that although they have a lovely big WIR, they get far less time digging up the garden than they used to.

 

3. Old age - could Maud just be feeling grumpy because she is older than any other chicken I've owned. She is pushing 7 years old.

 

I've tried run-enrichment. I've tried treats and consistent attention from me. I will be able to let them out more as spring approaches, but this time of year it is too cold and gets dark too early.

 

Would it be worth putting my two little flocks of 3 together? Would this maybe give Maud a more balanced environment. They do run outside together without too much trouble. Lulu, the little white bantam silkie, is the most aggressive with the little sabelpoots, but I'm sure they'll all get over it eventually. At the moment, the sabelpoots are in the cube with a 1.5m run, the others are in the big WIR.

 

Advice and thoughts from others who have any similar experiences would be very welcome.

Gill

[Grandmashazzie]

Just a thought given her age could it be a tumour. I have heard of a few dogs who have been aggressive in later life and it has been brain tumour in one and li ver tumour in other.

[Luvachicken]

I was wondering too, if she has a pain somewhere.

Maybe it actually hurts when you pick her up so she decides to peck you in the hopes that you don't pick her up.

Just a thought xx

[Charlottechicken]

I had one turn and become very nasty. She would start by jumping with claws up if you showed her the sole of your foot (sitting cross legged in the garden) Then she began pecking at hands when approached. That developed into going for ankles and other bits of exposed flesh. She was happy and healthy otherwise, didn't have a problem being picked up, but seemed to not like being approached by hands and feet. We did start calling her Mad Maisie, poor Lola was really puzzled by her behaviour. She was probably around 4 when the behaviour began nd it got slowly worse for the next couple of years until she died.

[GillC]

Many thanks fir the replies. Lots to think about. Reassuring to hear about the hen with the fetish. Somehow reassuring as I can see how that might happen. Maud is happy being picked up too, and I have a cat who hisses at bare feet, but is fine if you have slippers or shoes on.

 

Also, being quite old she could have an underlying medical issue, but until I see some mor obvious symptoms I won’t put her through the disruption of a visit to the vet who is 30 mins away. Maybe things will improve in summer.

[GillC]

Just reread this thread. Maud recovered and became friendly again, living to a grand old age of 7 yrs 9 months before she died quite suddenly.  I’ve still no idea why she went through the mean phase. 

[soapdragon]

4 hours ago, GillC said:

Just reread this thread. Maud recovered and became friendly again, living to a grand old age of 7 yrs 9 months before she died quite suddenly.  I’ve still no idea why she went through the mean phase. 

Perhaps it was the henopause? I often feel like taking someone's head off!