Chicky Discipline

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Last night I brought out some cooked leftover veggies to the girls (some peas I squished my fingers). They loved it.

Then the peas were all gone. I still had my hand in the brooder, and I got a few experimental pecks and one pinch. Then they pretty much left my hand alone.. except for one chick. She's my littlest (but not my friendliest). She wouldn't stop the pecking/pinching. Most of the time I've found a no! Stop that! Makes them cease and desist whatever naughtiness they are doing (picking at sibs, etc). But this one wouldn't give up! It was honestly starting to irritate me.

I heard someone said push them down a bit, since that's what a roo would do. I tried that. Eventually I told her no and picked her up, legs dangling. That helped, but AARRGG!

So how do I get my point across with Ms. Stubborn? They are still little (just shy of three weeks) but I do NOT want this to be a habit (In a full grown chicken who wouldn't stop... well. We do EAT chicken..

) And I won't have birds that are aggressive. I have two children - 5 and 3 - and will NOT put up with that.

Meghan

 

[4H kids and mom]

I have found that with little ones, a gentle (but FIRM) "peck" with one finger (like a hen poking her baby when it bugs her) usually gets the point across. Always use a sharp sounding word like NO! with the peck, as they learn through association and you WILL have to repeat this several (if not many) times, but they WILL learn eventually. Reward the good behavior, and discipline the bad. Keep up with it too.

When they get bigger, you will have to adjust your "peck" to something a little 'firmer', and with young roos beginning to test you, you will have to hollar NO! and actually chase them off (as the 'Top Roo' would). Sometimes, the real obnoxious ones will need a gentle (or even not so gentle) reminder with a booted foot.

 

[cookinmom]

When my roos would get feisty with me, I would thump them on the tail and tell them no, in a firm voice.