Bolshie Hens !!!

[Granny Magic]

Hi All, just into my 3rd week of being a chicken owner and so far it's been okay but the last few days the girls seem to be turning a bit bossy. I've been throwing a handful of corn into the run whenever I pop down to see them and now as soon as they see me they're all crowding around the door of the run expecting the corn. I've also been letting them feed out of my hand and now one of the hens is really pecking quite hard at my hand or pecking at my finger - this hen seems to be top hen as she won't let the others have a look in - she's also the oldest as I expect her to be the first to lay - hopefully sometime over the Easter week-end. The youngest who is an Amber is really quite timid and I'm having trouble trying to get near enough to her to pick her up - she's really very skittish. Am I doing anything wrong? All advise gratefully accepted. 09

 

[Marigold]

All this behaviour is completely natural and shows they are settling in nicely and bossing you about just like mine do! When I go in the run the problem is to avoid treading on anybody, so sometimes if I'm about to clean out the coop I just hold a bucket at ankle level and sort of push them backwards as I open the door. Or you can throw a few grains in as soon as you open the door and they'll all race to get some and then you can get in with no problems. You just have to move quietly but firmly in the direction you want to go, and maybe keep them guessing about whether you are going to give them any corn or not.
Yes they can peck quite hard at your hand, can't they - you could try having a little pot with some corn in. so they have to come near enough for you to touch them, pick them up etc, without ending up with holes in your fingers. If Amber is seeming to be left out, ie is lowest in the pecking order, maybe you could separate her and give her some time just with you, without the dominant ones breathing down her neck. Maybe take her out of the run and just let her enjoy the garden and a bit of corn near you, in a nice peaceful way? She'll soon get used to you when fully settled in.

Looking forward to news about that very spoecial first Easter egg!

 

[chrismahon]

Hi GM. Great to hear your chickens are settling in. Pick the top hen up and carry her around for a bit. This will give the timid one a chance to feed and show the top hen who really is the top hen -you!

 

[Chuck]

You are on the brink of trouble & it's time to pull back or your hens will be in charge of you & while it's good to have them reasonably tame, they should not be constantly picked up, especially when they get to the egg laying stage. They will peck at you in anticipation of getting more food and beaks are sharp. They should not expect tit bits everytime they see you and the mixed corn is best given as training tool to get them to do what you want thm to do or for a special treat, no more than once a day.

 

[Granny Magic]

Thanks folks for your advice - have stopped the corn treats - just give them a bit in the morning when I let them out and a bit in the early evening.
Thanks Marigold I'll try a litle pot when I want to get near them to pick them up.

 

[kitty]

You are on the brink of trouble & it's time to pull back or your hens will be in charge of you & while it's good to have them reasonably tame, they should not be constantly picked up, especially when they get to the egg laying stage. They will peck at you in anticipation of getting more food and beaks are sharp. They should not expect tit bits everytime they see you and the mixed corn is best given as training tool to get them to do what you want thm to do or for a special treat, no more than once a day.

Hi Chuck, please can you say why hens should not be constantly picked up? Some do not like it at all, but one of my flock of 4 loves being picked up and she is top of the pecking order while the other three do not like being picked up and one especially makes a run for it when she sees me picking up the others.

 

[foxy]

It depends on why you are picking up hens really, it is important to handle poultry from a husbandry perspective and to understand what "normal" feels like. I check mine regularly for lice, weight etc. This I do at night usually when they are calmer and therefore are not so nervous. It is not really natural for birds to be constantly picked up, chickens do not enjoy being handled. They are also made anxious by anything grabbing them from a height, as instinctively they will feel threatened. The other reason to be careful when handling is the potential risk of the bird struggling in a persons arms, and maybe rupturing an egg en route.

Saying all that though, you may find if you are kneeling down, sat in a garden chair for example, they may use your lap, shoulder even head as a convenient perch!

 

[Marigold]

It's also important to know HOW to pick up a bird, ie with one hand holding her legs and supporting her from below on your forearm, and your other arm round her chest to restrain her if necessary, rather than the panic-inducing two-hands-over -the -wings-and-lift method, wher you get badly scratched and the bird is not properly supported and gets distressed.

 

[Chuck]

Sound advice from Foxy & Marigold. Chickens in lay can be damaged by bad handling, however unintentional. Hens in lay have sensitive parts at the back end where developed and part developed eggs sit. Dropping birds from chest height can damage legs and internal organs if they are unprepared for the fall. It's true some are naturally tame nit some bitterly resent any contact. The tame ones are the ones to learn on as you will need to handle all your hens at some stage but there's no point in forcing yourself on birds that don't want it unless it's necessary.
There are a lot of keepers who need to take a step back from their laying hens and not look on them as pets in the extreme. There is still ample scope to enjoy your hens and it is easier to meet their needs and keep them healthy if you take that one step back. This a my personal belief.

 

[Sue]

But surely handling them regularly gets them used to being handled for when it is necessary and also makes it less of an ordeal for them. It takes time to learn how to handle hens. It has taken me 12 months to be confident in handling them and from being terrified of catching and holding them to start with, in case I hurt them, I can now catch and handle them with confidence and they are fairly easy to handle because I am confident. At first I didn't think I would ever be able to do it and didn't think I'd ever be able to hold them with my fingers between their legs and their body resting on my arm (this seemed impossible), but after a few months you suddenly find you're doing it correctly without even thinking about it. It is one of those things that just slots into place like learning to ride a bike! I don't handle mine very often now, only to check them over occasionally. Although I do have three who like being handled.

 

[Chuck]

Took in three hens a week ago which were said to be laying well but fighting. Luckily, I had a pen with a lone male in so they were rushed over by the owners. Nice condition except very over weight (Warren type hybrids). Certainly laying well as they said but I think I have discovered the real reason they needed to move home - they are totally out of control ! As soon as I get near them, they fly up at the wire in anticipation of titbits. Open the door and they are upon you, pecking and scratching in anticipation again of treats. They have obviously been spoiled to the point where they are unmanageable and would be absolutely unsafe around children. This is not normal behaviour and these birds were on the brink of being culled if I hadn't taken them but this behaviour will only be tolerated as long as they continue to lay well.
The ex owners said they were going to get bantams but if they don't change their style of management, only the most docile of bantams will not turn bad.
Problems like these are not chicken problems, they are created by the keepers.

Chuck - aka Victor Meldrew !

 

[Sue]

My hens don't bat an eyelid when I go near them, they just carry on with their own business. The only time they pay any attention to me is if I go down with the container of corn to get them back into their run, then they 'calmly' follow me in and wait 'calmly' at my feet until I throw the corn. Does that constitute well trained hens Chuck - aka Victor Meldrew?

 

[Marigold]

My hens don't bat an eyelid when I go near them, they just carry on with their own business. The only time they pay any attention to me is if I go down with the container of corn to get them back into their run, then they 'calmly' follow me in and wait 'calmly' at my feet until I throw the corn. Does that constitute well trained hens Chuck - aka Victor Meldrew?

Ah well, you see Sue, you have achieved a nice balance of tameness and control with yours. It's the same whether we are talking about hens, dogs, ponies, or even children (especially children) some people work on a sensible pattern of small rewards now and then, to encourage positive behaviour, whilst others have no idea about setting any boundaries and then wonder why their livestock/kids are unhappy and out of order. The fact that Chuck says his new Warrens are over-fat says it all, doesn't it, about how they've been managed by the previous owners?