Eggshell Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 I’m hoping for guidance about how to deal with Daisy, who arrived point-of-lay with a friend in November as company for my one remaining 8-yr-old chicken. A brief history: Daisy was nervous of lots of things from the start, but placid and friendly with me and very easy to pick up and cuddle. Her pal soon migrated from the new girls’ eglu to the old girl’s eglu, leaving Daisy alone at nights and bottom chicken. I’ve tried moving Daisy over after dark, but she’s still refusing to join the others of her own will. My problem is that she’s started pecking me, to the extent that I’m getting nervous and cross with her, and she then gets nervous of me. She’ll come and take hold of my trousers and keep yanking at them until I push her off. She’ll peck other bits of me if she can reach - she left a bruise once - so I no longer squat down near her and I’m finding it hard even to put a bowl of food down without my hands being in danger. I don’t exactly think she’s being aggressive - she seems more like an out of control toddler who can’t distinguish between what’s worth going for and what isn’t. I did wonder if she was actually hungry, being bottom chicken, but they always have some food available, and once I’ve arrived with more in the morning there are three different places they can feed, and there is still food there by evening. I wondered if letting them taste bokashi bran was a mistake, because clearly both the young ones would happily sell their souls for it, and they become little hooligans if they can see it’s coming. I wondered if being on her own at night is disturbing her - or if being put with the others at night when she doesn’t want to be there is disturbing her. In short, I’m at a loss. The problem has only developed over the last few weeks, but it’s making going into the run more of an ordeal than a pleasure at the moment. I think I need a chicken whisperer… Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 The only time we've had chickens peck us is when they want to be picked up for a cuddle. The only exception is our new cockerel and we were warned that French breed could be aggressive. i wouldn't force her to join the others as they may bully her in the coop; if she doesn't want to join them it's for a reason. She might be pecking you to stop you putting her in with them? I can understand your concern, so just be careful near her until you can work out what's happening. Is she laying at the moment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggshell Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 Yes, she’s been laying all through the winter. It hadn’t occurred to me that she might actively want to be cuddled - I’ve had chickens since 2014, but only the same three until this autumn, so not much range of experience - they were never keen to be picked up. I’ll try that and leave her to sleep where she wants and see if that helps. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 Had another thought, but it's a bit far fetched. Does she see you as below her in the pecking order? Never had any experience of that myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggshell Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 I don’t think she can. She has always squatted very docilely when stroked. She seems calm once I pick her up. It’s just getting harder to find a easy moment to do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 On 1/14/2022 at 12:47 PM, Beantree said: Had another thought, but it's a bit far fetched. Does she see you as below her in the pecking order? Never had any experience of that myself. This was my thought too. I would try and assert my dominance over the other two and see if this has any effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisonFamily Posted January 14, 2022 Share Posted January 14, 2022 The only time I had this was when I had hens who associated me with treats at the time it was meal worm - I stopped the meal worm for a while and they behaved ...never had the problem again with other hens so no idea why ...I had 3 of them all going crazy at me !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie-Annie Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Don’t get cross because as you say that frightens her, but go armed with a spray bottle and give her a short sharp spray. I used that when my two were fighting because shouting and flapping made them worse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggshell Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 Humiliating as it is to discover I’m being challenged by bottom chicken, I think you may be right about the pecking order idea, Beantree and Cat Tails. I picked them up a lot more earlier in the autumn, especially as my daughter wanted to come into the run and cuddle them. With avian flu that got more complicated, and the result is they’ve been picked up much less recently. This morning I went firmly in and picked Daisy up and it did feel like there was a standoff going on; although passive when held, she went straight back to threatening to peck me when I put her down. So she has been picked up many times today and the other chickens several times too. I think she may already be starting to reassess - this afternoon I didn’t get any pecking threats. Here’s hoping… 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 I’m sorry eggshell but the thought of you being bottom of the pecking order has really made me chuckle 🤭 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggshell Posted January 15, 2022 Author Share Posted January 15, 2022 😳 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
