Chickens really peck people's eyes out!

[muddipuppy]

My friend was eating some tortilla chips and gave my orpington a few bits. Marmalade, who is friendly as a dog, hopped up on the bench beside him and ultimately ended up on his shoulder. She kept looking at his face and the pecked him on the eye! Fortunately, he wears contacts. It was pretty scary. Has anyone seen this behavior? She didn't seem like she wanted to hurt him.

 

[chickerdoodle]

My guess is the side of the lens caught her attention and she thought "oh, something else to eat" just like when they peck at your rings or your toes. I doubt it was aggression.

 

[Tala]

They're just curious. Also eyes are constantly moving, like a bug I guess. They always go for my shiny glasses, but the glasses also protect my eyes.

I feel that I'm more likely to get a wing feather in my eye than get pecked.

 

[Matt A NC]

Chickens will peck at teeth and the whites of the eyes. It would just be a normal taste test, but an unprotected eye can't take it.

When my Snickers was alive, she was a professional shoulder walker. I knew to keep the eye closed on whatever side she was riding. She did manage to peck my teeth a few times.

Matt

 

[augustmomx2]

Yep, my poor ds learned this lesson last year

One of the girls ended up getting him right under the eye, it became very bruised and swollen. He had to go to school and tell everyone a chicken tried to peck his eye out, mind you we live in an urban/suburban area and the kids kept saying to him: "You have chickens?"

This year all kids are required to wear safety goggles inside the coop or if they are petting the girls!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I too have been pecked in the eye. I bent down to look in the pop door, my fault really. They are curious and an eyeball is a shiny, moving object.

 

[Wiglwerm]

Yup, they will poke an eye if given the chance. Many years ago my parents had a pom puppy that's eye was punctured by a chicken. Needless to say I HATED chickens for many years because of this

...till I got my own sweet, friendly, addictive babies, now I have 14. But seriously just like with putting chicks/young birds in with full grown chickens, they have a "Pecking order" and it can be messy. I have two yorkies and my chickens chase them away all the time. I am always watchful, just in case somebody gets carried away...and don't let them get too close to your face, I notice mine take quite an interest in my eye when they are on my shoulder. Still have both eyes intact so far LOL.

 

[ranchhand]

That's why I no longer allow chickens near my face! They like anything shiny and corneal scratches hurt a lot.

 

[schmije]

I used to have a hen that whould ride around the yard on my shoulder. She pecked me in the eye once. I know she was just being curious, but boy did it sting. I normally wear contacts (which I was wearing when she pecked me), but I couldn't wear them for two days, because my eye was sore. People at work kept asking me why I was wearing glasses, and I had to tell them that I got pecked in the eye by a chicken.

 

[Uzuri]

I've had some close shaves myself and now don't let them anywhere near my face. I've got a freckle near one eye and that's what they go for. Scares the daylights out of me. I've had them peck me on the top of the head before, and while that doesn't really bother me, they still get swatted away pretty hard because it's just too close.

Chickens must have tougher eyes than we do, though, because the darned things seem to poke each OTHER in the eyes constantly. It's like a Three Stooges festival.