Hen pecking my kids

[cnol]

Not sure what to do in this situation. We have a Rhode island red hen who keeps pecking us including my children and actually breaking the skin and drawing blood. She is about 6 months old. We only have 2 chickens, her and a buff orpington hen who hasn't pecked us at all.

What do we do?

 

[BYCforlife]

Is she attacking, or pecking when touched? Is she doing it while in a nesting box, or just anywhere?

The best thing to do is to flick or poke her back when she pecks, or just chase her around until she gains a little respect for you and your family. It worked for me.

 

[cnol]

Is she attacking, or pecking when touched? Is she doing it while in a nesting box, or just anywhere?

The best thing to do is to flick or poke her back when she pecks, or just chase her around until she gains a little respect for you and your family. It worked for me.

I dont think she's attacking but it almost seems defensive sometimes. She pecks us anywhere anytime but mostly when she is following us around and we are standing next to her. My kids are scared of her now. They are 2 and 4.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I dont think she's attacking but it almost seems defensive sometimes. She pecks us anywhere anytime but mostly when she is following us around and we are standing next to her. My kids are scared of her now. They are 2 and 4.

I have a hen that does that. She is actually my tamest, but she was giving me bruises through my jeans. It always would startle me because she always did it from behind, so I would always let out a scream. I just started poking her back! She hasn’t been pecking me lately but she will come up to me and rub her beak on me. I think she just likes attention from me, I am in there 4-5 times a day, I am usually cleaning things up so, I’m not paying attention to her, maybe buy your kids one of those plastic fly swatters and just give her a swat.

 

[cnol]

I have a hen that does that. She is actually my tamest, but she was giving me bruises through my jeans. It always would startle me because she always did it from behind, so I would always let out a scream. I just started poking her back! She hasn’t been pecking me lately but she will come up to me and rub her beak on me. I think she just likes attention from me, I am in there 4-5 times a day, I am usually cleaning things up so, I’m not paying attention to her, maybe buy your kids one of those plastic fly swatters and just give her a swat.

Okay I will try poking her back...

 

[rosemarythyme]

Use your thumb and forefinger to make a "beak" and peck her in the back or neck whenever she pecks at you. Not hard enough to hurt, but ideally hard enough to get a reaction (mine usually squawk). That's how chickens tell each other to back off.

Also have you been giving these chickens treats by hand? She might be pecking you to try and get you to hand over the snacks (usually they aim to peck at the hand if that's the case). If that's a possibility, I would stop treating by hand and simply toss the treats on the ground instead.

 

[Pekin747]

Send her tho the pot!
And go get another one prob go for an orpington as they r in my opinion a lot friendlier than rir

 

[Pekin747]

I have a hen that does that. She is actually my tamest, but she was giving me bruises through my jeans. It always would startle me because she always did it from behind, so I would always let out a scream. I just started poking her back! She hasn’t been pecking me lately but she will come up to me and rub her beak on me. I think she just likes attention from me, I am in there 4-5 times a day, I am usually cleaning things up so, I’m not paying attention to her, maybe buy your kids one of those plastic fly swatters and just give her a swat.

Could be a sign of her trying to be the top 1bird cause when u add new birds into a flock the older birds alway peck at them to indicate who's boss? Just something I remembered there now

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Send her tho the pot!
And go get another one prob go for an orpington as they r in my opinion a lot friendlier than rir

The friendliest hen that I have is a Lavender Orpington and she is the one that always pecks me for attention.I would scream and peck her back and now she just wipes her beak on me. I just thought with a plastic flyswatter, the little kids that are scared wouldn’t have to get too close.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Could be a sign of her trying to be the top 1bird cause when u add new birds into a flock the older birds alway peck at them to indicate who's boss? Just something I remembered there now

She is the top bird, I have not added any new ones, does she think I’m a chicken? Lol!!