Help! My Cornish X's are attacking me!

Looking4ewes

In the Brooder
9 Years
Aug 10, 2010
50
1
39
I made the mistake in feeding the chickens some homemade ricotta cheese that I had made from leftover milk. Twice. Now the birds swarm me every time I enter the pen. I can't take a step without having 10 or so at each foot and I step on them all the time. When I reach for water/food containers, I get pecked. They fly up to peck my hands, shirts, legs, boots, face, etc. Ouch! There are only 22 of them but I feel that I am in the middle of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I daren't trip, as I most likely would be flayed alive. They are 7 weeks old and I'd like to get another 1 - 2 weeks on them, but, gee whiz, this is greatly annoying. Any advice? They are all roos, if that makes a difference.

Wendy
 
They just like the new food, that's all. I'd suggest giving them what they want.
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. . . . But of course, in moderation.

Them being cockerels does not change anything.
 
Since mine are on restricted diets , they're continuously underfoot when I bring feed ; but no pecking , I don't tolerate it . If I'm in a hurry and don't want to have to push them out of my way as I shuffle-foot through them , I toss them some treats away from the feeder .
 
Consider yourself lucky it didn't start until you gave them ricotta. I never had pecking problems, like Steve I wouldn't tolerate that. But they were always underfoot. I don't miss the shuffle-walk to do chores one bit. Come to think of it my feet do seem weaker these days, though.
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Well...I don't want to tolerate it either. So what do I do to stop it, short of lopping their heads off? I gave them more ricotta today and that didn't help much. ;-P They have food 24/7; they are just hoping to get more cheese?

BTW, they are wise to the diversion tactics. Same with the pigs, who always know the second bucket of food is the good one. You would think I could outsmart a chicken. I don't even try to outsmart the pigs. ;-)
 
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Actually , when I think about it , the CX have never actually pecked at me other than one pullet and one cockeral who gently tap my boot then roll their heads to stare my face with one eye and watch for a reaction
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. I had an Ameraucana that was lowest bird on the totem pole and not allowed by the others to eat . I started picking her up , carrying her to a corner , then guarding her as she ate . Soon she started coming to me , and if I never picked her up quick enough , would fly up and hit me from behind
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Now my CX are fed wet mash along with everybody else once daily , the others have a creep feeder for 24 hour access to dry feed . The wet mashed is preferred by all and I still get mobbed . The Ameraucana rose in ranks but still follows me around . She never actually enjoyed the carrying and no longer flys up , but I have to watch she doesn't follow me out the gate while the others are eating .
 
i let mine free range, and it wasn't uncommon to find myself running away, screaming, while a thundering horde of giant chickens came sprinting along after me. luckily, i was always a little bit faster, and never tripped, though if I had, I imagine I would have been shredded in seconds. like piranha.
 
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I have used a fairly gentle cuff upside the head of the two that peck my boot when they tried my leg , more like a push than a swat . They seem smarter than I thought they were and have learned the difference . The alpha CX cockeral challenged me when I was driving him into the coop one time . I nudged his chest with my boot and he backed down immediately . Mine are fairly gentle and friendly birds .
If you make the treat a good one , I don't see why they are mobbing you other than they know they can . Maybe they've placed as you as low bird in the pen ; I would let them know I'm not going to remain there .
 
You know I honestly don't remember if I had pecking problems with the Cornish X or not... I do deal with that in the dual purpose birds though. When you've got 100+ hormonal cockerels running around together someone is bound to get... well... cocky.
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When they peck my arms/hands either by flying up and roosting on the feeder stand to be at that level or if it's when I'm bent over I peck back with my hands, thumping them with two fingers extended. I aim for their back, but if contact is made elsewhere I just roll with it. If they don't like it they shouldn't have pecked me. If they peck/attack my boots or if my hands are full I bump them with my boots, not hard, but firm enough to boot them back a couple feet. In either instance I chase them off after the initial contact to reinforce my dominance. Come to think of it, it's probably a good thing we don't have a lot of passersby out here I probably look like a lunatic chasing chickens around.
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It usually doesn't take more than once or twice and they get with the program. This last batch I had one little $*&@*@& who didn't seem to get it through his thick, testosterone filled skull that he shouldn't mess with me. He was the exception, not the rule, though.
 

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