The story of Anna continues…
Every day when I enter the chicken run Anna attacks me. By attacked, I mean that she puffs herself up, flings back her head and wings and charges me….then bites whatever she can get her beak around. Now this probably doesn’t seem like a big deal…I’m a lot bigger than a measly 4-½ pound chicken. But, she actually draws blood. It has gotten so bad that I now wear knee high (not thigh high…you perverts) rubber rain boots to protect myself. I made the mistake of wearing my barn shoes the other day and she pecked through my jeans leaving a bloody nip and nasty bruise. The attacks have intensified...
I just can’t figure out why she does this to me every single day…I feed her, give her water, mealworms and fresh greens. If I’m going to be out of town, I have a chicken sitter come over to feed them and make sure all is harmonious. Anna and her girls have a heater and clean shavings in which to lay eggs. As chicken lives go, they lead pretty good ones!
To try to solve this issue, I’ve been researching and reading…and I think I’ve got it figured out. I think Anna is trying to be the dominant chicken! And she is trying to dominate ME! One book suggested I pick her up and hold her upside down until she submits. I tried this the other day and as I was putting her back down, right side up, she nailed the side of my head with a vicious peck! Another source suggested I charge her. Well, I tried that too. She definitely backed away, but then when I had my back turned, she surprise attacked me. I’m at a loss.
I have considered the possibility that Anna is demented. I mean she does have the brain of a chicken! One indication that this might be the culprit is that she has rubbed her head on something so that her beautiful topknot of feathers looks like it has been shorn into a Mohawk. That can’t be normal chicken behavior…
Anna also tries to follow me into the “big girl’s pen” containing the Silver Wyandottes who like to “kick chicken butt” whenever they come into contact with the Polish girls. It’s like she is tempting them to “Bring it”. She should recall that the last time she had a run in with the “big girls” she didn’t fare too well.
Alas, I believe I will have to live with this behavior awhile…at least until the chicken psychologists come up with more strategies for me to try.
So for now…every time I head out to the pen to check on the girls, I don my knee-high rubber rain boots for protection!
