# Savaged by a chick!



## fallenangel123 (7 August 2014)

We hatched out some little Pekin bantams about a month ago now, delightful little characters....except one! Since about two weeks old it has pecked the hand that feeds it and it's just getting worse! This morning I opened the top of the run, reached in for the waterer and it jumped up and latched onto my finger like a pitbull on a tree! Any chance this little chickweiler will grow out of this behaviour or am I going to need a dangerous animal license for it? 
   Any chick whisperers out there?


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## NellRosk (7 August 2014)

I have nothing constructive or helpful to add but to say LOL


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## splashgirl45 (7 August 2014)

I am also no help, but you bought a smile to my face tonight!!!!!


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## Suelin (7 August 2014)

Chickweiler!!!!! Love it!!!  We had a very aggressive Wyandotte cockerel once.  I called him Adolf!!!!!!  Eventually he wound up in the pot as he'd become a complete liability.


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## Archangel (7 August 2014)

Jumping whip with carrier bag tied on the end.  When chick goes for you whack it on the floor - wall - whatever (whip that is not chick) and keep whacking it right behind chick making lots of noise until the point is made... then carry on a bit longer just to make sure chick understands.


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## sandi_84 (3 September 2014)

No constructive advice but we had some tiny silky bantams when I was a teenager. They were slightly more free range than we'd intended and often I'd be sent off to find one of the girls. One day I found one nesting up the road a bit so bent down to pick her up and she GROWLED at me! :O I didn't even know chickens could growl! Made me laugh all the way back home


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## flirtygerty (4 September 2014)

I once had a very aggressive cockeral, handsome boy, but would attack and keep attacking me and my elderly gsd, the dog was terrified, I went head to head with this cockeral, I started off by shooing him off with my hands, ended up booting it down the run, he dusted himself off and came back for more, we ended up in the hen house, both panting for breath, neither conceding, I ended up dreading going to see the chickens, so had him rehomed, strange thing was, he never showed aggression when my OH was there


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## Fides (4 September 2014)

I had a very aggressive cockrel who would launch himself at you beak and spurs and not give up. I have on occasion had to protect myself by throwing my welly at him. He just got worse and worse to the point that he was going to become Sunday lunch. But then the fox beat me to it  poor Doug 

Eta - he was called Doug after the dog who loves everyone in the film Up!. He got the name as he was very vocal in the egg. Our new cockerel is called Hannibal - we are hoping he is the opposite too


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## fallenangel123 (6 September 2014)

Well Pip the chickweiler, has graduated from the brooder box into the run and having realised I am actually a giant now he isn't just dealing with my hands, he has a bit more respect, hopefully it will continue.

 We had an aggressive turkey stag a few years back, you had to go near him with a plastic shovel for defence which occasionally turned into turkey tennis as you pushed back his attacks! He once got out of the garden and was patrolling outside the village pub and wouldn't let anyone leave for over an hour.


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## Nudibranch (14 September 2014)

The best cure for our agressive cockerel was the fish pond net..when he came for me I caught him in it then picked him up. Now hes much more respectful!


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## meandmyself (14 September 2014)

Nudibranch said:



			The best cure for our agressive cockerel was the fish pond net..when he came for me I caught him in it then picked him up. Now hes much more respectful!
		
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The best cure is putting them in the pot!


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## Fides (14 September 2014)

meandmyself said:



			The best cure is putting them in the pot!
		
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Agreed  mmmmm roast chicken 

'Life is nature's way of keeping the meat fresh'


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## Enfys (29 September 2014)

Sorry this made me laugh. Visions of a tiny wee chick hanging off your hand 

It is actually no laughing matter, aggressive birds are no fun to have around and can do serious damage. I am scared of cockerels. 

When we first started keeping ducks we made the huge mistake of hand rearing one duckling that had been rejected. 
He lived in the house (until I got fed up with the projectile duckpoop) , he would sit on our arms, ride on the handlebars of the quad, come to call ... lovely, great, until the bloody thing weighed about 15lbs, and discovered that he was a HE! 

He used to roost on the porch above the back door and launch stealth attacks on anyone/anything  dumb enough to dare cross the lawn, the cats and the dogs (GSDs) lived in fear of him. A black muscovey drake hitting you in the back in the pitch dark is not funny  When he did it to me, I am afraid that was the day I handed OH the gun and said "shoot it" (we didn't eat him though) 

Poor Ducky, I still feel guilty, it was our fault, he just had no fear or respect. I will never handraise poultry again to that extent. Lesson learned.


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## Hoof_Prints (29 September 2014)

haha i have recently bought chickens and am amazed by their characters! we have one that we named "Psycho" because it is. It used to attack the other chickens and really square up to you if you approached it but luckily Psycho has calmed down now, probably since we let the my friend's chihuahua chase it round and put it in it's place a bit   Used to have a chicken that would run at you and chase you off the yard, vicious little creature ended up on the table


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## dibbin (29 September 2014)

fallenangel123 said:



			We had an aggressive turkey stag a few years back, you had to go near him with a plastic shovel for defence which occasionally turned into turkey tennis as you pushed back his attacks! He once got out of the garden and was patrolling outside the village pub and wouldn't let anyone leave for over an hour.
		
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I have an amazing vision of the turkey walking back and forth outside the pub door while terrified villagers peer out through the windows.


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## WelshD (29 September 2014)

Aggressive cockerels get better in the winter, its the breeding season when they are worst

Picking up the bird and doing chores with him tucked under your arm helps, sounds silly but they get to know who is boss

Otherwise I agree with the others, if you still have him and he is still bad I'd consider culling - there are enough nice cockerels out there needing homes


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## puppystitch (29 September 2014)

Do birds really tweet whilst still inside their eggs?! I had no idea!


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## MotherOfChickens (29 September 2014)

puppystitch said:



			Do birds really tweet whilst still inside their eggs?! I had no idea!
		
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yep, thats when I have to take the incubator out of the utility room and into the house proper as the cat then starts taking a keen interest!


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## Clodagh (29 September 2014)

puppystitch said:



			Do birds really tweet whilst still inside their eggs?! I had no idea!
		
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When they pip through the inner membrane into the air sac at the top of the egg, when they are ready to hatch. A very exciting sound!


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## puppystitch (29 September 2014)

Amazing! That must be so cute! I'd love to have chickens at home, but as we're out most of the day they'd have to be kept 'in' for a long time and it seems a bit mean. Maybe once I've won the lottery and retired!


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## Clodagh (29 September 2014)

If you have a decent sized run they are quite happy being confined, only if they have got used to free ranging do they not like it.


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## Fides (29 September 2014)

puppystitch said:



			Do birds really tweet whilst still inside their eggs?! I had no idea!
		
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Listen!!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10151891342165781&id=745240780

And here is how noisy the little blighters are...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152528056230781&id=745240780


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## fallenangel123 (30 September 2014)

dibbin said:



			I have an amazing vision of the turkey walking back and forth outside the pub door while terrified villagers peer out through the windows.
		
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That is exactly how it looked!!

Well Pip has now graduated (with his siblings) to the yard with the other chickens and was firmly put in his place by Dave the Serama cockerel and is behaving himself now. Just as well, I'm quite attached to the little savage now.


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## Dry Rot (1 October 2014)

puppystitch said:



			Do birds really tweet whilst still inside their eggs?! I had no idea!
		
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It's part of the bonding process and when chicks first learn what mother's call sounds like! So duckings hatched out by a hen still follow the hen, though mum generally gets a bit confused when the brood takes to water!


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