Chick Pecking Hard

[creedatticus]

we have 5 chicks, and 4 of them love to eat food out of my hand (one doesn’t for some reason), and one of the ones that does eat from my hand pecks hard! the other ones peck my hand and it doesn’t hurt, but the one plymouth rock chick we have hurts. it feels like it opens its mouth and bites you while pecking/eating, not sure if it’s on purpose. it doesn’t make marks, but it hurts a little and kinda tickles your palm. how do we stop this and what does it mean?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I don't like hand-feeding the chicks because it gets uncomfortable pretty quick as they grow. I don't want to have adults doing it because I don't want to get nipped.

 

[Adolph Otto]

Maybe counseling?

 

[creedatticus]

Maybe counseling?

what is chicken counseling?

 

[NC_Quail]

In my experience, at least with adult hens, chickens seem to peck harder when they want to get treats away from their flock mates, have you tried feeding that one alone? Also, keep in mind that young chicks are still learning how to peck.

However, if you like hand feeding, I would suggest you get used to the pecking. It gets worse when they are older.

 

[RubelliteRose]

We have a Speckled Sussex hen that used to peck hard when hand feeding. We would give her an age appropriate head bop when she pecked too hard - very gentle nudge as a baby to a stronger one fingered head bop as she got older. It took a while, but she eventually learned not to be so rough

 

[BigBlueHen53]

They don't know it's your hand, and they don't know it hurts you. It's just food on a surface.