Bullied chicken is aggressive with me.

[TXHmstdr]

I couldn’t find an answer to this anywhere - so I’d really appreciate any help!

I have a flock of 4 hens, no rooster. 2 Anconas and 2 Blue Cuckoo Marans.

All are the same age - bought together as chicks, raised together.

Three of them get along great. But one of my Marans (She’s physically larger than the rest) is consistently getting bullied. One time it got bad enough that I had to separate her and help her get stronger.

There’s a clear pecking order and she seems to be at the very bottom.

Sometimes, however, she gets pretty aggressive with me, my family, and my dog. (On one particular day when my dog was barking annoyingly she ran up all puffy up to her and got her to shut up lol)

I’ve tried the tricks I’ve seen here but I’m not sure if any of them are really working.

I pick her up and hold her tightly, let her sleep in my arms… but afterwards she seems to not only get bullied worse but challenges me directly too.

I’ve tried to hold her neck down and “mount” her like a rooster would - but as soon as I do the rest of my flock gangs up on her while I’ve got her down.

I can’t bring myself to put her down - she’s honestly my favorite… she waits for me by the door every evening (lol) She’s the best layer and she eats her food in a funny, aggressive way. She has a quirky personality. When I give them berries she grabs one quick and runs away, then comes back and steals the other’s berries. LOL!

Doesn’t the chicken at the top of the order usually attack humans and not the one at the bottom?

Does anyone have a similar experience and knows what to do?

(She’s the one in the back - also look at the way she waits for me to come with snacks… too cute!)

 

[sourland]

She has to dominate something, and she has decided that the dog and you are beneath her in the pecking order.

 

[TXHmstdr]

She has to dominate something, and she has decided that the dog and you are beneath her in the pecking order.

So… if I get rid of her, would the next-in line do the same?

 

[StinkyAcres]

How old are they?

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Doesn’t the chicken at the top of the order usually attack humans and not the one at the bottom?

Females chickens usually do not attack humans in general. Only female chickens have a pecking order, not the males. It is very uncommon to see a female chicken attacking a human (except if they get too close to a broody), and usually is caused by an imbalance of hormones or a flock without a rooster causing a hen to take the lead of boss.

So… if I get rid of her, would the next-in line do the same?

Not always. When a hen passes away, the whole flock's pecking order needs to be re-established and fixed again. If the most dominant hen is the one who dies, then a new dominant hen will take the lead, but as every chicken is an individual, she will not act the same. I had a hen named Lavender who was at the very obvious bottom of the pecking order, she was so weak and I felt so sorry for her getting bullied all the time. She eventually died of weakness from a severe case of bumblefoot. As a result, the pecking order of course had to be re-established again, but I have fortunately not had another hen fall down the same path as Lavender. That is one example of how not all chickens in a certain rank are the same. You have a weird case going on with your hen, and I have never heard of a lowest-ranking hen attacking you and other animals.

 

[TXHmstdr]

How old are they?

Approaching 2 years now… about 1.5 years.

 

[TXHmstdr]

Females chickens usually do not attack humans in general. Only female chickens have a pecking order, not the males. It is very uncommon to see a female chicken attacking a human (except if they get too close to a broody), and usually is caused by an imbalance of hormones or a flock without a rooster causing a hen to take the lead of boss.


Not always. When a hen passes away, the whole flock's pecking order needs to be re-established and fixed again. If the most dominant hen is the one who dies, then a new dominant hen will take the lead, but as every chicken is an individual, she will not act the same. I had a hen named Lavender who was at the very obvious bottom of the pecking order, she was so weak and I felt so sorry for her getting bullied all the time. She eventually died of weakness from a severe case of bumblefoot. As a result, the pecking order of course had to be re-established again, but I have fortunately not had another hen fall down the same path as Lavender. That is one example of how not all chickens in a certain rank are the same. You have a weird case going on with your hen, and I have never heard of a lowest-ranking hen attacking you and other animals.

She is 1000% the lowest ranking. Sleeps at the lowest roosting bar and after everyone else. Is sometimes visibly submissive and scared around the others. Doesn’t defend herself when pecked. Everything I’ve read shows a hen attacking to be the dominant one - not the one at the bottom of the pecking order…

She’s so brave and puffy around me and family but a scaredy cat around the rest of the flock.

The rest of the flock squat as soon as I get close to them. So I’ve found myself somewhere between above the highest ranking and below the lowest ranking at the same time.(?)

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Sometimes, however, she gets pretty aggressive with me, my family, and my dog. (On one particular day when my dog was barking annoyingly she ran up all puffy up to her and got her to shut up lol)

but challenges me directly too.

Doesn’t the chicken at the top of the order usually attack humans and not the one at the bottom?

Hi and welcome to BYC. Can you describe her behaviors when she is "aggressive", "challenges" you, and "attacks humans"? I'm asking in an attempt to understand how her behaviors compare with typical aggressive rooster behaviors.

 

[TXHmstdr]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Can you describe her behaviors when she is "aggressive", "challenges" you, and "attacks humans"? I'm asking in an attempt to understand how her behaviors compare with typical aggressive rooster behaviors.

Here’s a screengrab from a video I caught of her:

She usually starts hunching down, waddling with her feet, and puffing up when we’re about 3-4 feet away from her. Sometimes spread her wings a bit. Then she’ll take a few steps back, wiggle her tail and charge. Sometimes she just charges up and stops to get us to back off. Sometimes she charges and pecks.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

From your descriptions her behaviors Are somewhat comparable to an aggressive rooster, minus flogging with spurs. My first thought upon reading your first post was as @sourland said, that she has decided that humans and dogs are beneath her in the pecking order. Still, her behaviors are unusual for a hen. The fact that she is extremely bullied by flockmates she was raised with is also unusual. Typically, once a pecking order is established, peace reigns within a flock. The extreme bullying by hens she was raised with signify the other hens detect an unusual weakness within her. This combined with her unusual aggression toward humans could mean that her brain is somehow damaged.

Only you can decide if the joy her quirky antics (and eggs) bring you overrule the annoyances when she acts aggressively. While a rooster exhibiting such behaviors can cause true injuries and should never be tolerated, she is less likely to do so, though her pecks can still draw blood on bare skin, and i wouldn't let her anywhere near my eyes.