Pecky Black Australorp/Brahma Mix

[AnamiTsunami]

Hey there! I just got 5 black australorp/brahma mixes and one of them is very aggressive towards me and my other chickens. They are all the same age, only 5 weeks old. Every time I go near it, it tries to peck me. Should I get rid of the one problem chicken and keep the others? Or a way to correct the behavior before it gets out of hand as they get older? Help!

 

[Andkingquail]

Hey there! I just got 5 black australorp/brahma mixes and one of them is very aggressive towards me and my other chickens. They are all the same age, only 5 weeks old. Every time I go near it, it tries to peck me. Should I get rid of the one problem chicken and keep the others? Or a way to correct the behavior before it gets out of hand as they get older? Help!

Win her over with treats and interaction. If that doesn't work and she keeps being aggressive than cull her.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Might just be a rooster, in which case there’s not really a way to “correct” the behavior- probably just aggressive by nature. 5 weeks is pretty early to be seeing aggression or sex differentiated behaviors but it’s not impossible. If it’s actually hurting the others, I’d separate it. If not, it’s probably fine to leave it until it’s old enough to sex properly.

If you’re worried about its behavior to you, you can sometimes “peck back” at the bird with a jab of the finger. It can make a difference in some cases, but if he’s a boy then he won’t care much.