How do I stop the girls from biting me?

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Naturally, it's mostly the Rhode Island Reds. They've been little velociraptors from day one, afraid of nothing.

Even a couple of the Cochins do it.

They come up behind and all around me and just nip, nip nip!

Just today, I've actually taken to *gently* swatting them. We can't be having any of that nonsense around here, this is sort of like a petting zoo situation and at 18 weeks, their bites are starting to hurt.

 

[Delta2 23]

i feel for you! my chickens have never bitten me purposefully but sometimes when i feed them from my hand they nip really hard.

i dunno, if you want them to stay away you need to do something to freak them out so they won't go near you, like hit them or something (not too hard!). another way is to just stamp your foot in front of them and yell NO. that usually sends mine running after a few tries.

Or else you can just wear thick trousers and it won't hurt anymore.

 

[JennsPeeps]

We've got just one RIR but she's the nippiest of the flock (was 4, now down to 3, going up to 5, then to 8 by July).

I swear that RIR is a shark. When she sees food that she really wants, she rolls her eyes back and grabs at anything she can reach. Typically she's going after fingers on a hand that's no where NEAR the food.

Good thing she's a terrific layer.

 

[Cetawin]

I am not sure how to stop that. My go after my shoe laces constantly.

My red cochin is my taster. She must taste everything...shoes, fingers, gloves, sleeves, hair, my bottom lip...

Just one quick taste and she is on to something else.

the RIRs both of them are little ankle sharks so I have no idea what will work for you. they see "The Stick" which stays in the corner of the coop used to secure the large window at night and they take off.