Are my Chickens beyond HELP?

ScorpioHen

Chirping
Aug 18, 2023
19
46
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Hi Everyone. I am wondering if anyone would be able to tell me if my chickens, and their behavior, is beyond hope, as I am at my wits end.
I have had many hens in the past and still a few as of now, who are tame, laid-back (no pun intended), and just sweet as you could want with chickens. No problems with holding them, touching or feeding them....HOWEVER....
Last year I got 4 Easter Egger hens and they just turned 1 year old. All white chickens, 3 lay blue eggs and the other green. They started out fine, like the others and trained well. But the past 6 1/2 months has been "chicken nightmare hell". They fly and jump onto the fence as soon as they see you coming toward the yard, all in hopes of attacking you. When inside the yard, they are attacking your shoes, feet, legs, hands, flying up to attack you face and chest and arms. They are absolutely insane! If you reach down to try to pick one up or anything else in the chicken yard like the dishes, etc, they will attack your hands and actually draw blood. They are well fed, extremely healthy chickens and there is absolutely no excuse why they should be acting like this. They will puff up, wings outstretched and standing tall while attacking. You would absolutely think they were roosters instead of hens by the way of their behavior. For over 6 months now I have done everything I can think of to try to tame them down, all to no avail. The best method that worked some (at least enough to go inside the chicken yard to ward them off from attack) is when I take a long tree stick with me and ward them off as they are a little afraid of the stick. But it does not help much. They are starting to fight with my tame hens and trying to control territory inside the coop. I honestly cannot take it anymore of getting bloody and bruised by these hens when just going into the yard to do daily routine of feeding, cleaning, etc.
My chicken yard is completely enclosed with fence and hardware wire (even overhead) to keep out all critters and birds. I do have trouble with rats and am at a constant battle of trapping and killing those without harm to the hens. But that is at night well after the hens are locked inside their coop. The coop is completely rat proof and predator proof as well.
If anyone knows of any methos I can try with these terrible nasty hens, please let me know. I would be most grateful. They are excellent egg layers and I truly hate to get rid of them, but it has come down to me or them when they are wanting to just tear into me and my family for flesh and blood.
Are they worth keeping and trying to tame or is it best to cut them lose before they damage me, my family or my other tame hens?
Thank you all for you help.
 
I would eat them, honestly. Or rehome them. But it's not worth keeping them. They are making your chicken keeping journey a misery, and the lives of your other chickens miserable. You and your family should not fear injury in your own home, when trying to care for your birds. Get rid of them now before they seriously injure a human, spur them, or take out an eye, or break something that won't heal. You're already emotionally traumatized.

Always solve for peace in the flock. This is the best advice seasoned chicken keepers gave me when I started keeping chickens, and I'm passing it on. It is so very true. Get rid of those terrors. You'll be glad you did. The peace that returns to your world will be worth it!

If it helps, behavior like this is often genetic, and there's no training them out of it.
 
At this point I say you've tried what you've could, I would unfortunately cull them and not get birds from that place anymore as that is very unusual behavior from any hen.Where did you get them from BTW?

Do know that easter eggers are usually much much nicer than that, mine are very friendly, especially Ginkgo, she's usually the first to greet me
 
Wow. I've never heard of this. Are they attacking you together? Like a gang?

If you don't want ro rehome them or eat them, maybe you can put them in a smaller enclosed area together by themselves in a way that you can feed and water them and they have shelter to sleep and lay eggs but can no longer attack you.
 
I would eat them, honestly. Or rehome them. But it's not worth keeping them. They are making your chicken keeping journey a misery, and the lives of your other chickens miserable. You and your family should not fear injury in your own home, when trying to care for your birds. Get rid of them now before they seriously injure a human, spur them, or take out an eye, or break something that won't heal. You're already emotionally traumatized.

Always solve for peace in the flock. This is the best advice seasoned chicken keepers gave me when I started keeping chickens, and I'm passing it on. It is so very true. Get rid of those terrors. You'll be glad you did. The peace that returns to your world will be worth it!

If it helps, behavior like this is often genetic, and there's no training them out of it.
Thank you for giving me your reply. I have been telling the family that I am seriously wanting to get rid of them for fear of injury to anyone. Your honest opinion has given me complete clarification as to what to do.
Yes, I have loved keeping chickens, up until these 4 terrors. I will be sure to do what it takes to bring back the peace.
Thank you so much.
 
At this point I say you've tried what you've could, I would unfortunately cull them and not get birds from that place anymore as that is very unusual behavior from any hen.Where did you get them from BTW?

Do know that easter eggers are usually much much nicer than that, mine are very friendly, especially Ginkgo, she's usually the first to greet me
I purchased them from Tractor Supply at just 2 days old. I purchased other breeds of birds there and never had a problem with any of them. This was the first ever Easter Eggers. I had heard from many people that had this breed that they are calm birds. But these 4, I just don't know what has happened to them. They are like little Satan birds or something.
 
Wow. I've never heard of this. Are they attacking you together? Like a gang?

If you don't want ro rehome them or eat them, maybe you can put them in a smaller enclosed area together by themselves in a way that you can feed and water them and they have shelter to sleep and lay eggs but can no longer attack you.
If two of us go into the chicken yard at the same time, they will attack us both and run back and forth between us to bite. Just the true definition of "little terrors". I have just never seen anything like it in my life.
I have tried in the past to separate them away from the flock and in a dedicated area. But as soon as I go in to get the eggs, they will scoot out fast or jump over me to get out and go back with the rest of the flock, all the while attacking. It is crazy. I will most likely be getting rid of them. I just hoped to give them one last chance at normalcy.
 
I purchased them from Tractor Supply at just 2 days old. I purchased other breeds of birds there and never had a problem with any of them. This was the first ever Easter Eggers. I had heard from many people that had this breed that they are calm birds. But these 4, I just don't know what has happened to them. They are like little Satan birds or something.
Try Meyer next time, I got my easter eggers from them and they have great temperaments
 
That's so bizarre. Good luck! I'm sure someone will take young Easter Eggers that are laying. Maybe they'll calm down in a different environment? Easter Eggers usually have great temperaments.
 
I have tried in the past to separate them away from the flock and in a dedicated area. But as soon as I go in to get the eggs, they will scoot out fast or jump over me to get out and go back with the rest of the flock, all the while attacking. It is crazy. I will most likely be getting rid of them. I just hoped to give them one last chance at normalcy.
If you try this again, maybe you should not go in at all during the day. After dark in the evening, collect eggs and check that there is enough water and food for the next day. Or do those things in the morning before the sun comes up. That way they can't see to run out or attack you.

Of course if you eat them or get rid of them, that will also solve the problem.
 

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