My 7 week old chicks are always pecking my feet

[schatzi011]

My 7 week old chicks are always pecking my feet. I usually am in flip-flops (I live in Southern CA). Now that they're getting larger, it is starting to hurt. My two kids put their fingers in the run today and both got pecked and came running away crying. Is there any way to teach them not to peck human skin? I don't feed them out of my hand (or really at all). I put their feed in a bucket-like feeder.

They don't seem aggressive at all. Ideas?

 

[Sassysouth]

Chickens peck at nail polish, freckles, basically anything. That is what they do. Dogs lick, chickens peck.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Mine are 7 weeks as well. No matter how many times I tell them to quit they persist.

 

[schatzi011]

I teach my dog not to lick me, cause I can't stand that (my kid's cheeks are free game). But not sure if hens can be taught the same.

 

[Trux]

I teach my dog not to lick me, cause I can't stand that (my kid's cheeks are free game). But not sure if hens can be taught the same.

Not really, you will be better off teaching your young ones not to stick their finger where they can get pecked, and as for you, put on some shoes to do the feeding and you will be fine.

 

[chkva]

My 7 week old chicks are always pecking my feet. I usually am in flip-flops (I live in Southern CA). Now that they're getting larger, it is starting to hurt. My two kids put their fingers in the run today and both got pecked and came running away crying. Is there any way to teach them not to peck human skin? I don't feed them out of my hand (or really at all). I put their feed in a bucket-like feeder.

They don't seem aggressive at all. Ideas?

Mine used to nip my toes in sandals and I would scoot them away a bit to take my foot out so they can realize it's not food. I think they thought my toes were big fat grubs or something, but I'm still not convinced that they learned not to peck my toes. I'm sure one day one of them will get my toes again and leave a bruise or something, but it's just them studying their surroundings. They use their beaks like we use our hands.

I have two hens that have cut beaks (I didn't do it they came to me that way from the farm) and their bite hurts just the same. Im not sure of any true solution to make it hurt less or make them stop. Protective footwear would work for your feet but with hot weather it's not always comfortable.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They peck out of curiosity. Toes and fingers are interesting. I get that in a hotter climate that you don't want to wear boots, but it's really helpful in protecting your feet from pecking.

With the kids, it sounds like they put their fingers in front of the chickens and wiggled them (which honestly I do too, without thinking), which is going to tempt them to bite. Might be easier to train the kids out of doing that, than trying to train the chickens to not peck at the wiggly fingers.

 

[Folly's place]

I have 'barn shoes' and 'barn boots' and never go out there in sandals of any sort; I'm not a fan of poo on my feet, or being pecked.
Mary

 

[schatzi011]

I think the kids learned really fast not to put their fingers in the run!!

As far as going out with boots, that's probably not going to happen. I live in sandals year round here. I'm not sure how you get poo on your feet. The chickens don't ever stand on my feet and me wait for them to go poo. That sounds worse than letting a dog lick me.