Do chick pecks hurt?

lyndatu

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12 Years
Nov 13, 2007
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This is a trap thread! You now have a chickenbot virus! (kidding)
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Hello. My chicks are huge. They are all 2 weeks and 2 days old. They are all cornishes. I was thinking of giving them treats sometime. But I was scared of their pecks. Does it hurt? I've been pecked by a chick of mine when I was putting the newly-filled feeder into the brooder, it doesn't hurt very much, but I think it was an accident so it probably doesn't count. Can you rate the pain?

Thanks in advance.
 
Baby chick pecks do not hurt at all. It really feels more like a bump than a peck.

I have 14 week old buff orps who like to peck my ring and that is alike a little pinch, but doesn't really hurt either. However, they don't catch my skin often and are just after the ring.

I have been pecked hard by a young cockerel who felt like testing me a couple times. He left a welt on my hands every time I offered him feed out of my hand. I'd say the older they get the more it starts to hurt. I also have hens who peck the back of my leg for attention and some of those pecks feel like a good bite.

Jody
 
Quote:
Good one.

Chickens don't really hurt when they peck unless they get you in the eye or poke
at a cut or something. Full grown birds can peck REALLY hard but it still doesn't
really hurt.

One of the punishments I have for my son is to make him go in the coop with
a handful of steamed rice. The chickens ATTACK him for the rice. He plays it up
by yelling and screaming and we both have a good time with it.

There is a type of bird that does hurt when it pecks. They like the taste of
blood and have VERY sharp beaks. They are called Asian Ground Parrots but
in the U.S. we call them Silkies.
 
One of the punishments I have for my son is to make him go in the coop with
a handful of steamed rice. The chickens ATTACK him for the rice.

So wrong... ROFL​
 
Chick pecks don't really hurt till they grow up and really go after food in your hands.

But you say cornish... the meat bird type cross or real Cornish? Don't let them overeat now and let them get exercises if you want to let them grow up and live healthy lives. Your strain might not grow too fast but if they are meant for meat, the strains here often die young. They are pets right?

Remember to let them have some grit or sand to eat if you give them treats.
 
Thanks for the help!

Yes, MissPrissy told me that cornishes often die young (five years I think) because they keep on eating and will have heart problems. Oh, mine are cornish X's. I really wanted egg-layers because I like eggs and they do not eat and poop as much as the cornishes and have a longer lifespan. I also treat my chicks as pets but my parents only want to eat them. If they see a chick looking sick they say,"Don't die! You're too small!" and everyday they visit the brooder to see how big and fat they are.

Silkies' pecks are painful?! Wow! I thought they were calm pets! I don't think I'll be wanting silkies anymore........Silkies ARE evil!.............they might eat my flesh.......oh, and good one with the punishment, purplec!

When I try to feed them with my hand I was wearing ski gloves. They were very hungry that time because I woke up very late that morning and they already finished their feeder before dawn. When they started eating on my hand, they were vicious-looking; their eyes are getting bigger and rounder and they peck so hard and quickly; it was like a drill peck. I wonder what would happen if I wasn't wearing gloves.............Yes, I don't think it would be painful.....

Thanks
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Ah, so you do have them for food. They will be ready to eat at about 8 weeks or so, maybe older since your strain there isn't as inbred meat machines as those here who go by days till butcher. Good luck.
 
Oh no wait, my parents say that it's up to me if I want to butcher them, but I want them as pets and friends for fun and delicious eggs. But they beg me for meat so I probably let them slaughter some......... :|
 
Quote:
You dont need glove to hand feed REAL chickens, but if you have Silkies I would suggest you invest in a good set of welding gloves, ski gloves will not last long with Silkies, and please be careful.
 

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