Chicken Doesn't Take Gentle Pecks

[Peep-Chicken]

I have a 23 week old rooster(gender unknown https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/982304/ebony-the-non-crowing-rooster#post_15290493) and he is very nice. Except when you try to hand feed him. He will try to take chunks of your hand with every mealworm. I have to tell friends to be wary of him or I have hold him when they visit.

He is very nice except for eating from the hand! His demeanor is nice when hand eating, it's just his peck that hurts.

Any way to get this to stop?

 

[Peeps61]

Are you feeding him with the other chickens around? Sometimes, they are afraid the others might get more than they do. Or, he just may eat that way and you'll have to wear gloves when feeding him .

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Are you feeding him with the other chickens around?  Sometimes, they are afraid the others might get more than they do.  Or, he just may eat that way and you'll have to wear gloves when feeding him .

Yes I do. Perhaps I'll try to start feeding him with gloves away from the other birds to teach him his food isn't going anywhere.

Thanks!

 

[Kraftcrazychick]

If one of my chicks pecks at me a little hard I give them a bump on the chest lightly. Just enough that they feel it. The next time around they seem more gentle.

 

[ooRachyoo]

One of my 19 week old pullets likes to grab my finger even when there is no food left in my hand, she is the most greedy but I am worried she's getting a bit big for her boots, I have gave her a little dap when she's done it but she still does it so I've resulted to feeding her wearing gloves I just hope she will calm down as she gets older

 

[Folly's place]

I just don't feed out of my hand at all. I drop any treats on the ground instead. Pecking really hard is rude, and continuing in the face of corrections, a sign of either excessive assertiveness (aggression) or stupidity. I avoid the whole problem instead. Mary

 

[aart]

Some chickens are just less gentle when hand feeding than others....don't read too much into it.