Aggressive Hen At Bottom of Pecking Order

[KWor]

I got my first bunch of chicks two years ago (Rhode Island Reds), all hens. After about one year, the chicken who seemed to be at the bottom of the pecking layer slowly began to become aggressive towards myself and my dogs. She would walk up and down the side of the dog pen, puff up and fly at one of my dogs who was extremely irritated by this. My other dog was calm and could care less. This dog has always been fine being out with the chickens, never bothered them at all. When he would be out, she would wait for him to pee or poo and then she'd come out of nowhere and aggressively fly at/peck him HARD. At times she would do this to me and then my husband. It would be very random at no specific area of the yard. This became increasingly worse so a month or two ago we put her down None of the other girls ever acted that way. Last week I noticed one of the other chickens just beginning to do the same thing the other had done! She walks up and down the dog pen instigating the dogs and when she is in the way and we try to shoo her, she flew at us! This is exactly what slowly had begun to go on with the other hen. I have never heard of aggressive hens so I thought we just had a weird chicken, but now that this one seems to be following the pattern-what is going on? Is this normal? Is there supposed to be a "protective hen" yet who is not at the top of the pecking order?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

she has a nasty axe to grind..

 

[Mimi13]

How strange. I, too, have a 2 yo BO hen that is at the bottom of the pecking order, yet she is always ready to “take a bite” out of me. She isn’t aggressive to any of our dogs, or any other person for that matter. Just me. I can still pick her up and she’s fine. I guess she just likes the ground attack.
My four hens free range all day and she mostly stays off to herself, I guess because the others run her off most of the time. Yet when I call them when I find juicy goodies in the yard, she is ALWAYS the first one there and will hog ALL the worms, crickets, etc. She doesn’t pay attention to the other more dominant hens then. I just figured that she thought she would pick on me since she was picked on. She always has been my most curious bird.

 

[Killer Tomato]

My hen, who is at the bottom of the order did the same thing, but she chased our cats (she doesn't dare pick on the dogs, who are quite large). She also only picks on the two cats who are scared of her -- the old cat and the timid cat. The feisty cats, she doesn't mess with.

She's a very clever little hen, and she will stalk the cats, and chase them, pecking their butts til they run back thru the pet door into the house. My old cat was terrified!

I started doing "Cuddle Therapy" with my wicked little hen, and that has been working well. Whenever I was outside, I would pick her up, and give her extra attention and cuddles in my lap. I would walk around the garden with her in my arms, cooing and petting her. She was raised indoors, in our bathroom, but was never as loving as the rest of the chickens. She tolerates this -- but really started liking it when I began giving her treats (fruit, worms, or chicken feed) from my hand, while holding her.

She was always getting chased away from the food, and pecked at by the other hens, so the extra treats while sitting in Mom's lap has really made a difference. It has taken a month, but she has stopped chasing the cats!

I can only imagine what a jerk she's going to be to the new littles we have in the bathroom brooder right now when we try to integrate them in a month. I'll have to increase my Cuddle Therapy to super high levels, I guess.

Good luck with your hen!

 

[Mimi13]

Oh yes, and welcome to BYC.

 

[sbhkma]

If it's anything like horses, I usually find the lowest horse in the herd is the one who is most aggressive toward the newcomer, trying to make sure they don't go any lower in the herd order. Perhaps the low hen is trying to assert herself over you and the dogs for the same reason? Just a guess, as I've completely given up on trying to figure out bird-brains.

 

[Killer Tomato]

If it's anything like horses, I usually find the lowest horse in the herd is the one who is most aggressive toward the newcomer, trying to make sure they don't go any lower in the herd order. Perhaps the low hen is trying to assert herself over you and the dogs for the same reason? Just a guess, as I've completely given up on trying to figure out bird-brains.

I agree! Human society, as well too. (sadly)

 

[Lazy Farmer]

If it's anything like horses, I usually find the lowest horse in the herd is the one who is most aggressive toward the newcomer, trying to make sure they don't go any lower in the herd order. Perhaps the low hen is trying to assert herself over you and the dogs for the same reason? Just a guess, as I've completely given up on trying to figure out bird-brains.

Same with my chickens, turkeys, goats, pigs.. Except our coy fish.. They seem to be peas in a pod.

 

[Killer Tomato]

Same with my chickens, turkeys, goats, pigs.. Except our coy fish.. They seem to be peas in a pod.

I want to be a koy fish. That sounds very peaceful.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I want to be a koy fish. That sounds very peaceful.

cold in the winter

When our ducks get out and want a little sometimes.

Being a Coy is not what it is cracked up to be