One great way to encourage good behaviour is by having a spacious coop with all the necessary features - enough nesting boxes, good perches and decent space so they don't get bored as easily. All of our coops are fitted with these features - so your chickens should be on their best behaviour!
Aggression and feather pecking or plucking are the two most common behavioral problems in chickens. They may be related and possibly have similar underlying components, including stress, overcrowding, and competition over resources such as food.
The first method you can try to deter an aggressive chicken is a face-off. You should attempt to stand your ground with an aggressive chicken — never turn your back. You want to establish yourself as the dominant member of the flock, and turning around and running away will only encourage the bird's behavior.
Spend Quality Time
Let them see your face and talk to them. They will get comfortable with you and even nap in your hands or on your lap. For older chickens, bring something to sit on and relax near their roaming area. Stay low to the ground so you don't intimidate them.
Isolating the bully is a great way to modify her behavior. Separation from the rest of the flock while still in view is preferable. Chickens are social birds, and hopefully, after a few days, you can return her to the flock where she will have to go through the pecking order once again.
Aggressiveness in chickens can be hormonal, genetic, instinctive or behaviorally reinforced. Some breeds are naturally more aggressive, just as some are better foragers, layers or mothers. (See “Read Your Breed” below.) Within a breed itself, there will be variations.
If chickens don't have a proper amount of space, they'll end up getting on each other's nerves and eventually lashing out on one another, especially in the winter. The simplest way to prevent bullying from overcrowding is by giving your flock more space! Chickens should each have a minimum of 4 sq.
Try the Radio. When loud noises are going on outside it can upset your hens and interrupt their zen. Whether it's fireworks night or next door is having a party, having a radio on in the coop playing classical music or a talk show in the background can soothe your hens.
Moving your hens is very stressful eg to a new home or to an agricultural show. A car is noisy plus there are lots of unusual movements (eg driving along a bumpy road) and this can cause stress to the bird. A well ventilated darkened box is a good idea to make sure that the hen is safe and as relaxed as it can be.
Give Treats
Just like other animals, chickens love treats. Great treat options include cooked oatmeal, greens like kale and spinach, pumpkin, and scratch grains. You can also occasionally hang things like heads of cabbage or suet blocks in their run for the chickens to peck.
Let The Birds Roam Free
If you can envision yourself snapping at them in that scenario you can appreciate angry, pecking birds. A change of environment is often a great way to make your chickens happier. Providing free-range gives chickens the opportunity to flee when pursued by one another.
Gather old lemon peels, lime peels, or orange peels. Scatter them around the perimeter of your garden and in between separate plant beds. You can also try spraying the ground with lemon juice or lime juice. Use the juice instead of or in conjunction with the citrus peels.
Chickens sometimes do not stop pecking the feathers of their companions, mainly around the body, tail, and wings. This is not an aggressive act, but normally due to boredom and lack of foraging opportunities. Avoid chickens pecking each other by providing plenty of fresh dirt, litter, and frequently rotated pasture.
Healthy chickens are social, curious and should feel energized to freely move throughout the coop, run or backyard. A lack of movement, low head carriage and overall depressed appearance may be a sign that something is wrong.
It is important to quickly recognise signs of stress, like abnormal feathering, constant preening of feathers even in the absence of external parasites, increased aggression like feather pecking or cannibalism and even aimless and restless pacing of birds that are housed on the floor.
Essential behavior routines for chickens have been found to be dust-bathing, nesting, foraging, preening, stretching, wing-flapping, perching, and sleeping. Most of these have a direct impact on physical health, but all benefit chicken psychology.
Reviving Stressed Chicks
In most cases, they recover soon after you move them into the preheated brooder with warm water (with added chick electrolytes) and food. Gently dip each chick's beak into the water to help them find it, and you may need to dip their beaks a few times before they get coordinated.
Lavender is a natural stress reliever which can be beneficial to laying and sitting hens. Lavender also increases blood circulation so it's especially beneficial to chickens sitting on eggs who don't get up and move around as much as they should.
When approaching a chicken, it's essential that you do not chase them. Chasing is going to stress them out and may make them skittish around you. Lowering yourself down to their level and offering a little bit of food or a treat can help encourage chickens to want to spend time with you!
Stress can have a very negative effect on your flock and in extreme cases, it may even lead to a heart attack and death. Any underlying disease may show itself as a result of the stressful situation. This is because stress causes the gut PH to reduce and this makes the birds more susceptible to disease.
Reach out smoothly to catch and pick up the bird. It is important to avoid grabbing at the neck, wing or leg. Instead try to place your hands gently on either side of the body (or underneath and on top). Sometimes that just doesn't work or isn't possible and you still need to catch one of your flock.
There are two main reasons a chicken may display this squatting behavior — as a mating signal or as a form of protection.
Boredom is a common culprit of spats between hens. In the long Winter months, lack of free-range access, lack of fresh grass, and tight quarters in the coop can lead to naughty behavior. Trauma also is a cause of fighting among your hens. The stress of losing members of the flock leads to more aggression.
The 'squawk bomb'
This is the chicken's main alarm call, expressing fear and also telling the other birds to run. The causes can be vehicles, dogs, people trying to pick up the hen, or predators.