One of my hens keeps pecking me - please help

[galanie]

Yes, usually a chicken aims for the back of the head when correcting another. So that's what I do, a solid but not too hard thump to the back of the head.

 

[chozie]

thank you very much - I'll put all of that in practice and hopefully she'll stop - I'm no wuss but they're starting to hurt and she drew blood yesterday!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

The root theory of animal training is cause and effect. An animal behavior is either rewarded or discouraged. You want to discourage pecking so you need a 'discouragemet' is doesn't have to be a 'thump' which has a tendency to make a creature 'head shy' -meaning anytime it sees your hand it will duck and shy away. Not what I want to condition into my critters. What is causing the hen to peck? Figure that out and you will solve the rest of it. Catch her before she reaches to peck you with a loud, NO give her a shove away from you. Persistent, grab her up and hold her...chickens don't like to be confined and she will start to realize that getting too close and pecking will get her captured. Maybe she wants the attention...push her away...SHOO! You can also grab hold of her beak and tap it saying NO. All of this will cause her to respect your space and realize you are not a pecking bag. Curiosity is the main reason a chicken pecks something, if it gets no discouragement it becomes an OK thing for the chicken to do.

 

[DianaMallory]

I call it flicking! Like you are flicking a cigarette away from you. I had to show one of my girls I was the boss by flicking them on the beak and standing my ground. She would run up to me with neck stretched as far as she could like she was king of the hill and then peck my feet. I didn't do anything at first but as she got older it started to hurt and I said enough is enough, I then realized she was trying to prove that she was head honcho! I gently flicked her on her beak and then stood there and told her with eye contact, Sorry lady you ain't in charge here! I am! It worked! Come on, I know you talk to your girls like they can understand you! I am not the only one! LOL! Good luck be firm, but gentle!

 

[DianaMallory]

I call it flicking! Like you are flicking a cigarette away from you. I had to show one of my girls I was the boss by flicking them on the beak and standing my ground. She would run up to me with neck stretched as far as she could like she was king of the hill and then peck my feet. I didn't do anything at first but as she got older it started to hurt and I said enough is enough, I then realized she was trying to prove that she was head honcho! I gently flicked her on her beak and then stood there and told her with eye contact, Sorry lady you ain't in charge here! I am! It worked! Come on, I know you talk to your girls like they can understand you! I am not the only one! LOL! Good luck be firm, but gentle!

oh I forgot to add chickens don't do time outs very well!

 

[chozie]

thanks for the extra advice - it does sound a bit less harsh! It's funny you should mention time out - I had to put her away twice this weekend as it was just getting ridiculous. I really don't know why she is doing it - it started out that it was shiny things that I was wearing but now it's just anywhere and all the time - I will start to tell her NO! And yes, embarrassingly enough I do talk to "my girls"

 

[Sally8]

I have 15 - 2 1/2 mo old chickens. Still in the process of figuring out who is who. This morning when I let them out of coop, a newly crowing rooster attacked me. He had been very docile, laid around, let anyone pick him up until today. I placed him on the ground and he flew at my feet and lower legs beating me with his wings and pecking me. Twice. Since I can't have 8 roosters and 7 hens (or whatever mixture)some will go. He is not big enough to eat nor pretty enough (so far) that anyone would want him for breeding. He's an EE. (Supposed to be Ameraucana but I doubt it) How crazy is this? Last night I saw him go after the turkeys that were 15 times his size.

 

[7L Farm]

that seems a bit harsh - but I guess you don't mean hard

No, just as mentioned you gotta let the flock know who's in charge. They learn real fast not to bite the hand that feeds them. Its not harsh. Them biting me is harsh. You just thump them with your finger. They don't shy away from my hand like someone commented usually after the first time thumping them they learn not to peck you. I've always done this when their young & they all still come to me every time I walk into their coop.You can train your birds. Heck I can open up the coops & turn right around & lock them all back in their coops & I have three chicken coops. My chickens are all real friendly. I'm not bragging I just like my birds to obey me & we all get along. If I ever need to pick them up I usually can. Sure sometimes no but mainly we all get along. I believe thats important with all animals you raise. Thats just me.

 

[harrisville chicken]

If thumping or flicking seem harsh to you. I have established myself as "head chicken" on occasion with a squirt bottle. They need to see who is squirting them to know who is in charge, and you're not going to hurt them on a hot summer day. It works quickly for me, there a even a few of the girls who will stop bullying others at just the sight of the squirt bottle. (Captain Kirk sets his phaser to "stun", I set my bottle to "stream" to get just the hen who needs a little discipline.)

 

[theoldchick]

I have an aggressive hen, Little Sister, and I taught her I was the boss hen by purposely pushing her around the coop. If I took the notion, I nudged her from her roosting position and was known to herd her down to the floor. I use my fist to bump her. Softly at first, and I will increase the pressure if she resists.By pressure I mean how quickly I tap her, not how hard I hit. You don't have to hit a 4-6 lb chicken hard. Simply push her around and off her roost. Little Sister learned quickly I didn't back off, and occasionally I have to assert my position by herding her around.

If your hen/pullet can't learn her manners she needs to be culled-or at the very least don't allow her to pass on her aggressive tendencies.

Your picture is too small to accurately determine sex, but she does appear to be a pullet.