Hen pecking me behind my back!

[artbykarenehaley]

I had a hen sneak up on me and stretch her neck out to look at something on my leg. I got worried and looked at what she was looking at, thinking I had a scab or scratch on my leg.

Turns out she was going after a fly!! I didn't even feel it on my leg but boy did I get nervous seeing her eye me like she was.

Haha, the classic "there was a fly on you!" slapstick standby.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The usual "behind the back" attack I see is when hubby crouches down in the run and his shirt rides up, and the chickens just can't resist pecking that exposed flesh. They're mini T-rexes after all!

 

[SmiYa0126]

The usual "behind the back" attack I see is when hubby crouches down in the run and his shirt rides up, and the chickens just can't resist pecking that exposed flesh. They're mini T-rexes after all!

'Oooh! What's in the crack?! Come on girls get it!".

 

[Shadrach]

What! No invite her to dinner posts. Not even I won't tolerated aggressive creatures.

 

[DLA]

My 24 week Welbar hen seems to always try to sneak attack me from behind. If I go in their run, she will walk behind me every time and start pecking me from behind! I can’t always keep her in front of me, she literally searches out to go behind me and do this every chance she gets. What would you do? She’s always been on the flighty side so she’s not handled as often and she’s near impossible to catch.

I've got a RIR pullet that does that. I named her Goose cause she's really good at goosing me. She's not aggressive or a problem in any other way, I find it kind of amusing.

 

[SunriseAcres]

I have one ISA brown that will walk right up and peck my leg. I also have one that will latch onto my hand with her beak if I am petting another chicken, or if I bend down to pet her..
doesn't seem to be a problem, just kind of annoying
.

 

[Etiene]

Hi, I would squirt your chicken with water each time she pecks you. Had a RIR blindside me. Squirting didn’t work so I gave her to a family on Craigslict.

 

[KGandE]

My 24 week Welbar hen seems to always try to sneak attack me from behind. If I go in their run, she will walk behind me every time and start pecking me from behind! I can’t always keep her in front of me, she literally searches out to go behind me and do this every chance she gets. What would you do? She’s always been on the flighty side so she’s not handled as often and she’s near impossible to catch.

We have a girl who does this. She is very friendly and comes running over whenever we approach the chicken yard, but she pecks really hard! Not sure why, but it just seems to be part of her personality.

 

[eastereggfan]

I had one hen that used to peck me. She wanted to be held. I would offer to pick her up when I went outside (and she came running) but she wouldn't want me to pick her up. Then she would go behind me and peck me good...
THEN I could pick her up, walk to the swing or bench and she would sit on my lap, tell me about her day and then take a quick (10 min) nap. She was my favorite hen of all times.

 

[janiedoe]

I have several hens and pullets who do this. Little Maris will pull, very roughly, on my pants leg, and wait for me to pick her up.

What's funny to me, is that if it's a cockerel or a rooster doing this, it's off with his head. I have had (& do have)friendly, talkative cockerels who have done this too. None of them have grown up to be aggressive. So, while it can be a sign of aggression, it isn't neccessary so.