ScorpioHen
Chirping
- Aug 18, 2023
- 19
- 47
- 56
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 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.
