Can your hen actually HURT you?

[Chook-A-Holic]

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This post has made my day! Thanks.

 

[KingSpeck]

My hen was fine while she was sitting on her eggs but now that she has chicks I can barely get near her without a full attack. I have to suit up in jeans and boots every time I go in to feed and water. I can't wait till she calms back down!

 

[columbiacritter]

If they want to hurt you they can take a chunk of flesh or scratch pretty bad with their nails, most of the time they are just warning you off. My husband has a scar by his eye where one tried to nail his pupil but he turned his head enough to spare his eye. My grandmother had scars on her leg where a broody raked her with claws and it got infected.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

My broodiest hen would bite me her first season attempting to hatch a clutch. But not a painful one-it was almost like a bluff. Like she was just trying to make me go away, not to hurt me. But after I continued to handle her regularly and ignored her bites, she eventually stopped. Now, I can handle her every season, any time, and she's learned that bitting doesn't work. She does have this very monserous growl, though. It's horrible. She sounds like an angry cat.

 

[chickenlady08]

I had a Red Star go broody last year and she sounds like a BO she was mild and pecked but it didn't hurt. well my 1st one this year was a WJG and she was pretty fierce. I did use those kitchen rubber gloves because she broke skin and she hurt. She also bite/pinched with her beak and that hurt even worse. I have another WJG go broody and she is hopefully close to hatching. then I go out yestereday and what do I find. Not one but 3 more broody hens. I have been taking the eggs from under them for 3 days now. So they seem serious. 2 of those are WJG and the other is a Deleware. I am gonna run out of room.

 

[macmama]

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I swear it's contagious! I only have three grown hens. My first went broody a month ago, and then the other 2 followed! I had to break the last one, because without her I wouldn't be getting any eggs at all, and I already have more chicks than I can handle!

 

[floridamel]

Wow, I am jealous of everyone who says their chickens peck but don't hurt them. Ours peck at us and break the skin, and that really hurts! They are both Rhode Island Reds. They seem to be a little too comfortable with us because they follow us around the yard and peck at our legs if we don't give them treats. We stopped feeding them by hand and now go outside with a broom to keep them away!

 

[chickenlady08]

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I swear it's contagious! I only have three grown hens. My first went broody a month ago, and then the other 2 followed! I had to break the last one, because without her I wouldn't be getting any eggs at all, and I already have more chicks than I can handle!

I have 38 chickens and counting. I am getting ready to get 6 new babies which are Buff Orpington. But am gonna try to trick my other girls to pretend like they hatch them instead of waiting the 21 days.

 

[macmama]

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I've heard that about RIRs. Also heard of some that were sweet, but I've heard enough mean stories to make me not want one. Maybe it's breed-specific. All 3 of my broody BOs peck but don't hurt. Both of my Barred Rocks are a little more timid of people, but haven't pecked at all. We'll see about SLWs, Delawares, and Lt. Brahmas... they're only a week old right now.

 

[Tala]

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are you sure that you don't have roosters??

The worst thing that my chickens do is get underfoot and try to trip me up, but all they want is treats. I did have a RIR cockerel that bit me (for no reason) but he never broke the skin and I didn't keep him long enough to find out how bad he would get. To hear DH talk you'd think the rooster was gonna shoot him in the head or something......

My biggest worry is if you loose grip on a wing and they flap it up in your face/eyes - feathers are actually kinda sharp!