Grouchy girls are pecking me!

[Brandy2512]

Okay, so I may have made a noob mistake and have not really been bothered by my 8 girls pecking at me from time to time. What was cute as chicks is no longer cute at 16 weeks. Bella & Luna (my top girls) have always been big fans of pecking me when my back is turned. It has gotten a bit more excessive in the past week or 2 and this morning they were rather aggressive towards me. Even my sweet Ginny who usually comes & plops in my lap for petting. Sweet Sunny even ran up & pecked my foot. My girls have been on lockdown in the coop & run for about a week now due to 2 hawks that have been hanging out. Could this be the cause? Could it be a hormonal shift? Are they trying to put me in my place, in the pecking order that is? I am going to get them out for some very very supervised free range time this afternoon to see if that helps. Is there anything that I should be doing to discourage them from pecking at me? My poor nipped up legs will appreciate any advice, lol.

ETA: Their pecks have always seemed more like curious, polite, exploratory pecks until this morning.

 

[aart]

Might be time to pull up your 'head hen' panties and show those girls who's the boss.

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

 

[Brandy2512]

When you say peck them back, do you mean just like a quick poke with my thumb & 2 fingers?

 

[aart]

When you say peck them back, do you mean just like a quick poke with my thumb & 2 fingers?

Yep......

with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers

 

[Baumshell28]

Following...as my 12 girls made 12 weeks old yesterday and I’d hate for our relationship to hit any road bumps!

 

[Brandy2512]

Tried the poke yesterday & I think it may be working. It was kind of hilarious the first time I did it. Bella (my top girl) looked at me like I had lost my mind, all shocked & mildly offended, lol.