Do you “punish” (not abuse) your chickens?

[BastyPutt]

No, because I don’t believe a chicken has the capacity to understand that the reason she is being locked up is because she was being a chicken. It’s like smacking a puppy with a newspaper three hours after it peed on the floor. It has no idea why you’re mad at it. All you’re doing is causing her unnecessary stress.

I agree - but question

In your example, a puppy/dog has a desire to please their master through service. Although a chicken does have emotional capacity - do you believe they have any desire at all to please us, or in that case - see us for anything other than someone who brings them food?

My dog follows me around all day, why exactly - not sure. But I know it isn't for personal gain. Chickens will follow me too, but only because I have something they want.... if that makes sense.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Not sure I agree dogs desire to please us. They desire to please themselves, and we do things that please them. We feed them, pet them, snuggle them, talk to them, treat them, etc., and all these things feed their desire/ need to be part of a pack. So they stay close to us, repeat actions we reward, and so forth. Either way it's a satisfying symbiotic relationship and I'll be stoned for saying these things!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Nope I never do unless when I’m letting them meet new chickens I’ll tell them no or push them apart if they get to rough but I’m never mean about it they are sweet I always give mine a talking too if they do anything bad pretty sure it doesn’t work the tone of my voice probably makes them think I’m praising them lol!

 

[BantammChick]

The only time I have "punished" a chicken is a few years ago when I had a rooster attacking me, I chased him with a stick and he quit doing it.

I wouldn't advise you to punish your hen for getting out. She doesn't know where you want her to be, instead I would look into securing the coop so they can't escape

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes I yell at them when they are bad, I have found chickens to be at least a smart or even smarter than my horses.

Each knows it’s name, no they know when I yell at one who is in trouble. Usually it’s Buttercup my escape artist. When she sees that I have made her out, usually in the paddock, she high tails it back to the barn and gets inside fast. Oh she knows I am mad and goes back out the front with the rest. Brat!

She will also come and peck me on the leg and look up at me when she wants something. Usually the preferred nestbox. She expects me to roust out whoever is currently there ha! She is lower pecking order so won’t kick others out of the box.

Smart birds chickens, little vicious calculating velociraptors!

 

[PhantomSlayer]

This might be a stupid question but when people say they "peck" their chickens what do they mean by that? A poke?

 

[Mouthpear]

does anyone here “punish” their chickens (I’m not talking about physical abuse)? I have “pecked” back when they were younger and pecked me, but I have a hen that ran off into the woods earlier this week during supervised free range times and I couldn’t get her in for two hours. I told her I hoped she enjoyed herself because her roaming privileges were suspended (yes I know they can’t understand me). Now the other three are out roaming and she’s in the run squawking her head off like they do when someone is in the nesting box they want.

I have NEVER even heard of "punishing"a chicken.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This might be a stupid question but when people say they "peck" their chickens what do they mean by that? A poke?

Yes. Use a couple of fingers and jab them just hard enough to get a reaction. It basically tells them "knock it off."

 

[16 and me]

I just scold them verbally and holler at my roo to get over here and get his ladies under contol. He almost always comes to investigate and if he sees a hen outside the boundary, he does the correcting. If he doesn't see a problem he gives me the side eye!

 

[bobbi-j]

I agree - but question

In your example, a puppy/dog has a desire to please their master through service. Although a chicken does have emotional capacity - do you believe they have any desire at all to please us, or in that case - see us for anything other than someone who brings them food?

My dog follows me around all day, why exactly - not sure. But I know it isn't for personal gain. Chickens will follow me too, but only because I have something they want.... if that makes sense.

I can only speak from my experience, and that is that I don’t believe that my chickens have any desire to please me. They come running when they see me, but if I don’t have the treat (kitchen scrap) bucket in my hand, they quickly go back to what they were doing. I raise my chickens as livestock. Those who raise theirs as pets my have different opinions or experiences.