Confession

[SoORchick73]

I am terrified of birds flying up near my face/head and of anything jumping at me.

When I was a kid my cat brought me a "present" a huge dead bloody bird. I was standing in the breezeway when he meowed to tell me he had a gift. The bloody angry thing flew at me smacking me in the face.

When I got these chicks I told myself id have to overcome that. They are now 10 days old and I just cleaned the brooder and they are getting feathers and are rather spastic when I try to catch them to take them out. Ack.

So do your chickens, as adults, jump up at you much? I started the "what advice would you give a new chicken owner" thread and someone said they will try to peck at your eyes. Now im doubly terrified!

Thoughts?

 

[kemclaughlin]

Something I saw mentioned is to wear safety glasses.

 

[SoORchick73]

Seriously? Chicken owners have to walk around with safety glasses around their chickens?

Quote:

 

[hennyannie]

I have two eyes and I am 35 years old this is a good sign since I have had some run ins with a few angry chickens in my time. You are tall arent you? If your short the chances go up!

 

[NanaLantana]

Chickens don't normally fly up into your face, try to get over that fear. As little ones, they are a bit spastic about their flying, because they're just practising. So as you reach into the brooder, they might get close - just be mindful, and remember not to freak out, they don't mean to hurt you.

Any chickens who want to 'peck your eyes out' must be held very close to the face for a bit of time. They will look intently at the eyes and consider it before they do it! So don't hold them up in front of your face, and you'll be safe from eye-pecking! I enjoy my chickens - every evening when I let them out to graze, they approach me in my chair, and jump up on my lap. I stroke them, push down a bit, and they happily sit on my lap. They never get near my face (except when I kiss them)

You'll be OK - just try to enjoy them, don't focus on your past experience.

 

[chickengrl]

Well I have not had any of my chickens fly at my eyes/face. I also pick them up and have not ever had one peck at my face. Now, with that being said, it makes sense that you don't put one up real close to your face just in case. No safety goggles for me!

 

[AKsmama]

My hens only jump at me when I have something in my hands that they think is food- whether it really is food or not. Most standard breeds will be too heavy to jump all the way up to your face. But they will for sure try to snatch something out of your hands. Roosters, however, are another story. My two that go after me generally don't get any higher than my behind, but that doesn't mean they can't or won't. And if you're super-short, or a small child, then yeah, they can definitely hit you in the face. I am assuming since you can only have 6 chickens total, then you are certainly not allowed any roosters, so maybe that problem is solved. Sometimes when I open my coop, a couple are so anxious to get out that they fly over the heads of the others, but I just make sure I step out of the way of the door.

The things with them pecking your eyes is to make sure they don't get close enough to the eyes to do it. When I was pecked in the eye, they were sitting on my shoulder. Now that they are adults, I don't pick them up or hold them unless someone is sick or injured, and then it's always on my lap, well away from my face. But yes, you can use safety glasses when you handle them if you need to. When you go to pick them up, make sure you hold down their wings firmly, because they will flap trying to get away.

Oh dear, have I completely scared you off chickens now?

 

[MyShunshyn]

there is always the chance that a chicken will get spooked and fly around... even at your head if you are in a coop that you can walk into.
they are birds and they do spook easily..... until they are used to you mostly. Mine were little scaredy cats at first but now they know my voice
and stop what they are doing and look for me if they hear me talking, Mom = food/treats

maybe you could just sit by their brooder calmly and watch them just being chickens..... flapping around, using their wings,
all they while telling yourself that they are not wounded, they are happy and healthy learning to be who and what they are and when
you are more comfortable with the flapping learn ti pick them up gently, from the front.. never chase and grab from the back or overhead, that
triggers panic.

I have always tried to do this with mine and they will now run over and jump in my hand, even fighting to see who gets to ride with Mom first... LOL

You just need to work on reprograming yourself, and give yourself a break...... it is always a little freaky to have a full grown bird flogging you,

 

[NanaLantana]

Safety glasses? I wear those when I'm chain-sawing, table-sawing, or doing something else to prevent getting junk in my eyes. I've NEVER worn them around chickens! I've had chickens on and off for 60 yrs now. The only thing wrong with my eyes is old age! Forget the safety glasses, and put on your thinking cap instead!

 

[teach1rusl]

Yes, they will outgrow the jumping and spastic tendancies. Like AKS said, they'll jump up to grab food from your hand (some of them) once they learn that you're the treatlady or foodlady. I will admit that, while roosting on DH's shoulder, my Dixie girl did peck at my husband's eye - but she was only about 10 weeks old when that happened, and that was two years ago. But because of that, when I pet or cuddle my chicks or big girls, I don't put my face at their beak level...pupils and fluttering eyelashes just look too much like tasty bugs to risk it...lol.