chicken pecking my feet !!

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Oops, double post

 

[mattandruby]

I get this indignant foot pecking when I forget to 'trade' a food treat for eggs (or more accurately, get things in the wrong order - one must treat them, then get the eggs).

The boss chicken of our min-flockette watches me collect the eggs. She gets a bit irate, and then runs around in front of me, delaying my exit from the chicken run, looking at me like I've just committed a heinous social gaffe, and then taps me a few times on the toes. Not aggressively, just in the manner of a Town Hall Point of Order. Banging the Gavel, if you will.

One can't help anthropomorphise these situations, but as far as I know, foot pecking is an activity by the chickens to their rooster when he's not doing his job properly. The rooster's job is to find food, check it, then call the ladies to the table, standing aside and letting them have their fill whilst watching out for any danger.

If the rooster wants his way with the ladies, or is just lazing around, and the ladies aren't exactly impressed with his abilities on the cuisine front, they will tap his feet to let him know that he's slacking, or at least not 'doing his job' properly (I challenge any bloke to deny this happens to humans).

The intensity of this activity comes down to the personality of the boss chicken - is she a CEO (mild) or a Union Shop Steward (bloody dangerous)? I mention this because recently our boss chicken passed on - she was a CEO, much older than her staff. Now her second in command has taken on the mantle, and she's a bolshevik.

 

[Emanuela]

My Four Pullets have only just started this business of pecking at my crocks every time I go into the coop, it is driving me insane I can't even walk a step with out them attacking my feet. I tried pushing them away gently, saying no loudly, pecking at them with my finger, nothing seems to work and they are getting more aggressive. I bought them when they were 4 days old and raised them my self, they all used to love coming round my feet to be fed treats and they never did this before. I need to be able to go into the chicken run to clean it with out getting pecked to death. So if anyone has any ideas on how to stop this behaviour I would love to hear from you. Thanks

 

[bucky52]

My Barred rock pecks my pant leg.it her way of asking for treats,this summer she would stand in front of me scratch the ground and peck my shoes.it was her way of asking me to dig her a worm.maybe its her way of asking for a treat.

 

[so lucky]

If you have sturdy shoes on, can't you just gently kick out in their direction when they get too close? I don't mean you need to kick them, just shoo them away like you would any pesky critter. My girls peck at my shoes or clothing occasionally, but if they would get annoying I would just shoo them away. I think they are pecking at little specks of lint or dirt on my clothes or shoes.

 

[Emanuela]

Yes I have done that shooded them off and they come right back with a vengance pecking at my feet....I'm not scared of them, I have pushed them away, the more i push them away the more they come at me, I am not sure what is going on, I can't move cause I am scared I am going to step on one of them, the only way to describe what is happening is that they are like pyrana, they just keep nibbling you shoo them off and they are back again in seconds. I am starting to regret getting chickens, because if I can't go in the run to clean it out or change their water, or feed with out all this bother then I am not sure what to do.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Usually hens peck women's toes and not men's toes because the women paint their toe nails, usually some shade of red. This makes your hens believe that you have injured your toes and all chickens are attracted to and programed to attack and eat anything that is or that looks like it is bloody. Sorry.

 

[newchicks5]

they just like your feet

 

[Emanuela]

By your response I assume you think I am a male, is this correct? If so the name is Emanuela not Emanuel lol....So I am a female, I don't paint my toe nails, and I have three different kinds of crocks which I use when when going into my chicken run one is green, one is purple and the other is red. They never ever acted this way before and I was wearing the red crock mostly, I decided to wear the purple when all this started and then the green and it has made no difference at all. Any suggestions ....lol...this is driving me insane.

 

[azygous]

Crocks are translucent, aren't they? I am guessing the chickens can see your toes through the toes of the crocks, and they think they are big, juicy worms.

My suggestion would be to either wear socks or get yourself some rubber barn boots that you can't see through.