Can you train chickens to NOT peck you so hard?

[LavvyTaffy]

I agree, but only for the older kids. One of mine has just turned three and she wouldn't remember to keep the chicken a safe distance from her eyeballs.

Oh, I see. Them young ones are tough

 

[aart]

Hand feeding can lead to over zealous pecking at hands and other body parts.
Some birds are gentle others are not.
I don't think chickens are as trainable as horse or dogs...but if a bird is getting overly aggressive I give them a peck on the head...it works sometimes.

 

[Debutante]

Hand feeding can lead to over zealous pecking at hands and other body parts.
Some birds are gentle others are not.
I don't think chickens are as trainable as horse or dogs...but if a bird is getting overly aggressive I give them a peck on the head...it works sometimes.

Thank you for weighing in on this. I will try your "pecking tactic"! Interesting to hear you say that some are gentle, others are not. That is EXACTLY what we've seen in our little flock. Five of the birds (2 Black Australorps, one Dominique, one Welsummer and one Buff Orp) just want to snuggle down on our lap. The remaining 17 birds are indifferent and one (a Buff Orpington) wants to rip us up and rule the roost. LOL

 

[centrarchid]

Hand-feeding can lead to over zealous pecking at hands and other parts, especially if your response is inappropriate. Rewarding bird for pecking body parts is to be avoided. Recoiling from pecking or otherwise responding also gives chickens impression they can control you in a manner you may not like.

I offer only small amounts of feed an allow birds to peck me even after all items consumed. This allows birds to figure out your parts are not edible. I delay re-provisioning my hand until after the chickens cease pecking me. Thus they will not develop an impression of cause and effect where the cause is pecking and effect is sudden appearance of more treat. End result is birds that do not peck me or others, even when hand fed.

 

[Abby chick]

Not idiotic at all! The fact that your chickens are pecking hard is something that some chickens do. Most times there is a reason why they peck: guarding their eggs, needing a nutritious element, or scared and protective against you.
Try giving them some grit for calcium and spending as much time as possible with them so they can get used to you.

 

[AlilSassy]

I like what centrarchid said, didn't realize Infollow this too. My exception to this rule is week and 2 week olds... they come up to me and start exploring my hands, out comes some shredded meat... but that is to make sure they understand 1-I'm not gonna kill them (yet) so don't be flighty plz, 2-lets me see them all very active, if one doesn't get excited, that's one to keep and eye on, 3-I can then put my hands on them and pick them up, and they more concerned with if there is food in my hand rather than "omg I'm being smothered by the giant and floating in the sky" XD

I take pride in having very friendly chickens, and anyone who has bought chicks or adults always comments how friendly mine are compared to their own...I would watch the youngins with the eye pecking too. Around 4 weeks or so is when mine start really looking at my face. Have a turkey poult coming up now, and she has got the longest neck. She's caught my bangs a couple times while I'm bending over in front of their brooder cage to feed or water chicks below them... so yup, gotta watch em on that one.

FYI, when they are grown, and if they stay friendly...when you go in their space or when they are lose in the yard, they WILL be under your feet while you walk, especially with food or water in your hand...it's a pain, but I prefer that to them screaming and panicking because I entered the area. I just had one jump up and land on the container with food that was in my hand yesterday as I walked in the run...nearly dropped the pitcher on everyone below...(they had run out of food while I was at work though, so she was acting like she was starving to death, a little more desperate than they would normally because chickens, like dogs, think they are always starving lol)... have fun with your chickens!

 

[Shezadandy]

Our first group of chicks got hand-fed, which was all fine and good while they were itty bitty- and then came the day when a couple of them started taking things to another level, jumping straight in the air and ripping at hands/fingers before I leaned over to give them treats. The hand biters could have easily gotten the treat, but went for the flesh instead.

That was the end of hand feeding! I still use my finger to tap like a beak just like the first food introduction if you order day-olds from a hatchery, or the introduction of a new food item, but that's a very brief process so hands aren't associated with the food going forward.

They all know that treats come with the person, but the treats will be on the ground. They're just as happy when I get there, and I'm happier not getting my hands mauled. I have had good luck with feeding from a container for the 'special' birds that aren't as assertive - we have our prearranged meeting spot in the coop while the rest of the flock goes after treats in the run.

 

[Debutante]

Thank you all for your replies. Certainly this discussion has provided lots of insights on the issue of pecking! We don't hand-feed at all, as I'd rather avoid those problems. The eye-pecking risk was especially interesting to me as I had never heard about it before and (obviously!) want to avoid that at all costs. My next big challenge will be identifying any cockerels that we might have... pretty sure there are a few lads in the flock. :-(
Thanks again everyone!

 

[MonicaWA]

Yup, pecks to the eyes do happen. A pullet got me suddenly when I was holding her. I lost a chunk or cornea in the process and it really, really, really hurt. I didn't stop holding, but wear eye protection now, just to be safe. The ER docs made me use antibiotics because chicken beaks are not clean. I am thankful I didn't lose an eye

 

[Jacquieh]

I'm new to having chickens, I rescued my f one in April, she was only 6 weeks old. She can be a brute! I have ear rings and i have my lip and a dermal next to my eye....She had to Explore ALL of them! My girl (Tilly) is a pet/house chicken, so I have hand fed her. She never pecks my hands for food. It was shiny things. But if she did, I would tap her beak and say NO! It seemed to work. She likes laying on my chest and she will take her beak and pick at my collar bone and neck...it looks like the same thing they do to dig in the dirt when they are taking a dirt bath. It's like she is trying to 'fluff' me up, so she can get comfy! She does HARD,and I blow on her head, and she stops! Then i make her get down. She doesn't do it that much anymore. And about chickens not being as 'trainable' as a dog or cat...i don't agree. I had never touched a chicken, let alone owned one. I rescued Tilly and thought I was going to find her a home....lol...yeah right! So I didn't know what chickens were or weren't able to learn. I just treated her like my other pets....chickens are VERY smart. I had her in a cage at night in the bathroom, which is connected to my room. I would bring her in my room in the morning and she learned to jump on the ground and go to her cage for food and water. She won't poop on my bed...She jumps down and will go to the 'puppy pad' I have for her! She sees me drink from my water bottle, and will run over and beg for a drink. So I take the top off and let her drink. I think if you handle them more and just treat them like you would a dog, you will be surprised with how much they learn!
Anyways, i hope this helps. And Good luck