Aggressive Pecking

[trigirl]

My first post...how exciting! My almost 5-mo. old Black Sex Link, Elinor, has a nasty habit of super aggressive and relentless pecking of my feet when I'm out in sandals. She will not give up, even when I lift my foot in the air, she'll jump and try to get me. She's drawn blood and I need to use a stick to fend her off. I truly feel like she is attacking me. Fortunately, she's not behaving this way to the other hens (of which there are three). She gets a couple hours of free range a day, so I don't think it's a boredom problem. Any ideas? Could my "she" be a "he"? No eggs yet. Help!!

 

[KMHunter]

Maybe try carrying a squirt bottle with you and squirting her when she pecks you hard. My girls ahve pecked at my toes, but not really hard. Sometimes it smarts but have never drawn blood. I have just walked away from them.

Edit to say that obviously walking away isn't going to work if she goes after your feet inccessantly.

I would try the squirt bottle.

 

[RL]

First off.. Welcome to the forum.

Do you have any nail polish on your toes? I wear sandals around my chickens all the time and they will come up scrach and peck at them, but not too bad. My SIL was out in the yard and she had red polish on her toes and the chickens went crazzy for them. So maybe it's just your toe nail polish.

 

[KMHunter]

Quote:
That is a great point. I don't wear much polish so maybe they just aren't as interested in my toes.

 

[trigirl]

Thanks for the replies! I'll try the squirt bottle. I do wear nail polish, and the other girls have pecked curiously and gently at my colorful toes, but what Elinor does is totally different, totally aggressive. She goes for the top of my foot, the heel, the ankle area, so I don't think it's the nail polish.