ISA Browns are amazing egg layers, and many commercial chicken farms use them.
But on backyard farms, some avoid them because of an aggressive reputation.
Are ISA Brown chickens aggressive?
ISA Browns are friendly and docile towards people, which makes the ISA Brown chicken an excellent choice for family life. Yet, ISA Browns are notorious for being dominant around other adult chickens. This is especially true for backyard flocks containing many different chicken breeds.
So, is there anything to do to calm an aggressive ISA Brown once aggression occurs?
We will be explaining how to do just this! Let’s dive right into it!
Are ISA Browns Aggressive With People?
No, the ISA Brown breed is not known to be aggressive with people at all. In fact, the ISA Brown is an affectionate chicken with humans.
This makes them suitable for family living.
Isa Browns are not frightened of people.
This means it is easy to pick up an ISA Brown.
They will likely even follow you around and enjoy a cuddle here and there.
This friendly behavior makes the ISA Brown a great Chicken for a family environment.
These prolific layers are also very quiet.
This makes them great for backyard chicken coops.
Are ISA Brown Chickens Aggressive With Other Chickens?
Unfortunately, the ISA Brown is dominant with other chickens.
They will engage in aggressive behavior to be higher up in the pecking order.
This is especially true if you have a variety of chicken breeds in your flock of backyard chickens.
Having more docile or defenseless chickens is best.
There are ways to calm down aggressive chickens.
Still, it’s best to pair your ISA Browns with chickens like them in temperament.
Examples of similar-tempered backyard chicken breeds are Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns.
You will also need to be extra cautious about introducing new chickens to your flock.
This is especially true when owning all these production breeds.
Further Reading: What to do when your ISA Brown goes clucky
Are ISA Brown Roosters More Aggressive Than ISA Brown Hens?
Like most other chicken breeds, ISA Brown roosters are more aggressive than hens.
This includes both aggression towards humans and other chickens.
So, if you worry about your chickens being aggressive, then it is a good idea to avoid getting an ISA Brown rooster.
This is especially true if you want a chicken for kids.
How to Reduce Aggression in Your ISA Browns
There are things to do to prevent ISA Brown chickens from becoming aggressive.
The ISA Brown becomes aggressive when they feel the need to compete for resources and space in the coop.
As a result, ensuring you meet all your chicken’s needs will help prevent this.
Here we will explain this in greater detail.
Make Sure Your Chickens Have Plenty of Space
It is important to provide your backyard flock with enough room to roost, roam, and forage.
It is never a good idea to keep your chickens in cramped quarters.
Doing this will make your chickens stressed out and more aggressive.
At the least, you will need to give each ISA Brown chicken 4’ square feet of space within the chicken coop.
Meanwhile, they will need at least 8’ square feet of space in outdoor areas and chicken runs.
Providing your chickens with many entrances to the coop will also reduce aggression.
Provide Your Chickens With Plenty of Resources
Competition for food and clean water will create competition among chickens.
Making sure there is plenty of fresh water and food to go around is important when owning a larger flock.
Providing your chickens with many water and food bowls helps reduce this problem as well.
Remove Particularly Aggressive Chickens From the Flock
Some hens are going to be more aggressive than others by nature.
Removing particularly aggressive chickens from your flock is a good idea.
It will keep the chickens in your flock calmer and more friendly.
Are ISA Browns Flighty?
These prolific egg layers are very confident birds.
As a result, they are not flighty birds, and they don’t tend to scare easily.
This factor is great for the backyard setting.
This is because situations can occur in backyards to frighten flightier birds.
Do ISA Brown Hens Get Broody?
While ISA Brown hens can get broody, it is somewhat rare.
This makes these gorgeous girls a great option for those who want to harvest lots of eggs.
Learn more about ISA Brown eggs in our complete guide.
This is especially true if you don’t want the hassle of having to deal with an ISA Brown rooster.
If your hen gets broody, place purchased fertilized eggs underneath them.
Are ISA Browns Aggressive Towards Other Types of Animals?
ISA Browns are not aggressive toward other animals most of the time.
This includes well-behaved dogs and other types of cattle like goats, sheep, and cows.
This is perfect for those, like me, with an amateur backyard farm.
We tend to have limited time to care for them, so we don’t need the extra struggles of dealing with angry hens.
ISA Brown For Beginner Chicken Owners
This hybrid bird is great for new backyard chicken coop keepers.
This is thanks to the breed’s docile and family-friendly temperament.
These hardy birds are also easy to keep healthy and happy.
They are also excellent for egg production.
All these factors are essential for those who are new to chicken keeping.
A Friendly Fowl For All
These brown chickens are an all-around amazing breed.
They are great for egg production and are family-friendly birds because these chickens are confident and docile around people.
