bitting chick

[Suess hens]

I have a 3 week old BR that has decided to bite me whenever I put my hands in whatever she considers home. We have named her Knievel....not because of the biting, she got the name prior to the biting. Will this pass, she only does it a few times, I tell her to stop, usually push her off with the finger she has attacked, and she stops. This is not a peck, it is open mouth biting.

 

[mhoward92]

This may sound weird but Mine did the same thing when they were little. One time i was playing with one out of the brooder and it was trying to bite my finger like you explained. But i noticed its throat moving in and out so I got curious. I thought that maybe it was trying to eat my finger!! so i took a noodle and gave it the noodle. and sure enough it did the same exact motions to the noodle as it ate it. so i think its just because of the age. mine eventually grew out of it. I don't think its anything to worry about.

 

[PeepMePosted]

How odd! I also have a 3 week old BR and live in Altadena and my little one just started biting yesterday! Do you think it's geographical ??? She shares her indoor cage with an Americauna who is very docile. I have a feeling that once we can move them outdoors and they aren't so cramped (and can eat bugs, grass, etc) this behaviour will pass.

Are yours still biting?

 

[mhoward92]

Nope mine are not. They are 6 months old now

but they grew out of it when i moved them to the coop outside.

 

[Suess hens]

They have been in the coop now for 2 days...it has been hot even at night....and she is still nipping at my fingers...last night it was my wedding ring she was after (at least she has good taste)

 

[PeepMePosted]

Strangely, our BR baby just stopped biting suddenly. We nervously offer her a finger to see if she does anything but she's been good so far. Guess it was just a phase. We got her (and her Ameraucana coop-mate) a larger indoor container to see if that had anything to do with it. We haven't moved them to the outside coop -- even though it's hot -- because our big girls (a RIR and SLW) are not too thrilled with the babies so far (integration will NOT be easy in this case). Maybe we can start an Altadena chicken daycare service specializing in biting BRs

!!!!

 

[mhoward92]

Mine sometimes will do some open mouth biting when i stick my fingers in the run and wiggle them around. they come up and grab my fingers sometimes. But as i said before i think it just looks like food to them. chickens spot things on your hand and just peck at it to see what it is. My brother had a small little scab on his hand and when he would pet the chickens they would try to peck at the scab. Its just them being curious. as to the open mouth biting mine still do that from time to time.

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Funny you mentioned this. My BR were the only chicks that would bite me when I reached for them. My little runt just stopped doing this about two weeks ago at the age of six weeks. I thought it was strange that they were they only breed doing it. Even my white leghorns who keep to themselves have never bitten me.

 

[DWavs]

My 7 week old Barred Rocks just started nipping at my toes (wearing sandals) when entering the run. I hope it is not a permanent behavior.

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Quote:
Mine only did it until they got used to being around us. I think we used to scare them.