Having nice fluffy butts?

[Revelle]

Soooo. I hear all sorts of stories about being pecked, and I reallyreallyreally don't wanna get pecked when my fluffybutts hatch and grow up.

Is there a way to somehow make them not be mean and peck at people, like being around them tons as they grow up? Or is it just the mom and pop stuff that makes em mean or nice?

 

[aimeeinwv]

We handle ours as much as possible. Making sure to wash our hands well after each time. Also, hand feed them. Another thing I have done is teach them to come to me by clapping my hands. When they come, they get treats. That was a quick lesson! LOL!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

if you don't want to get pecked, floged, attacked. if you scare them, upset them, tick them off, they will let you know. sometime they do it for no good reason

 

[ranchhand]

Chickens don't peck because they are necessarily mean- they peck because their beak is like a hand to them. Just like kids want to pick up everything or touch it, they are very curious and don't know the difference between an exploratory peck and a gentle tap. Occasionally one will really bite hard. I watch those very carefully!

Some things I've learned along the way - don't wear jewelry or open-toed shoes around them.

Don't hold them anywhere near your face if you value your eyeballs. Even the gentlest hen likes shiny things!

Don't encourage them to eat from your hand. They will associate your hand with food and peck it to see if there's any food in there, and as food oriented as they are they will be persistent.

Do spend a lot of time with them, so they get used to your movements and sounds.

Talk quietly to them as you work on things.

Take some time to just sit quietly and let them approach you. Next thing you know they will be all over and around you!

 

[Revelle]

Thank you everyone for all the advice and knowledge!

 

[Illia]

Honestly I think the only people who get pecked or attacked by their poultry are people who don't care enough to give them proper care or attention. . . Just handle them plenty and get to know them from chickhood on, and you won't have any troubles.

I've never ever had troubles like that.

 

[catdaddy66]

Quote:
Excellent advice for raising friendly chickens... Could also apply to any bird. I have a friend w/ an umbrella cockatoo and it always pecked at any adornment on a person!

 

[schmije]

We handle ours as much as possible, and we hand feed them. We also train them to come when we call them. We occasionally get pecked when they're eating from our hands (mostly when they're little and can't aim as well), but they're not intentionally biting us. I've been pecked by hens in the nest if I reach for their eggs, but I consider that to be justified. Honestly it doesn't hurt that bad. Our only truely mean chicken was a roo who would attack us. He was about to go into the soup pot when a predator took him.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I beg your pardon? I have been raising very happy, healthy, friendly and contented chickens for a long time. Along the way, I have studied their behaviour very closely and I thoroughly disagree with your statement.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Pecking is part of being a chicken......has nothing to do with how they were handled or raised. I think you're more likely to have a roo that turns mean on you if there's been too much handling of him as he grows.