How to help grandkids get over fear of getting hen-pecked???

[BarnyardChaos]

Can you give them something they can use as a shield, like a pan lid, to protect themselves, so they can't get pecked? I'm thinking you can set them up to succeed - so Miss Grumpy Hen can't win! Hold the "shield" in one hand, gather the eggs with the other. If they can wear an apron with pockets, they won't need a third hand to hold a bucket to put eggs in.

Alternatively, If they wait a while, will Miss Grumpy Hen get off the nest so they can get the eggs without having to do battle at all? Kinda sounds like the hen is broody, and a broody hen's pecks really can hurt!

I've been ruminating on this since last night, and I think I can make an arm and hand shield they can slip on - from a 2-liter soda bottle and an elastic hair band, or cutting the sleeve from an old heavy coat. Thanks for the idea! I'll make something today.

An egg apron might not work, as our nesting boxes (really buckets) are stacked on a rack that's rather tall, and has a sideways ramp in front of all 3 levels - so I can imagine them crushing eggs in the pockets as they lean in to collect eggs from the top and middle rows. However, keeping both hands free has a lot of merit; so I may revise HOW they collect eggs --- like setting the bucket down when they approach that grumpy hen, then moving her eggs to an adjacent empty bucket first, then transfer to the bucket. We'll practice this, too.

They only have a short time here after school - just enough for chores, snacks and a little playtime. So waiting awhile won't really work. (Knowing kids, chores have to come first.)

 

[BarnyardChaos]

If the kids aren't used to any animals at all....

They are, quite. I've called their dad the "zookeeper" for his collection of dogs, cats, python snakes (breeds them), and rats (to feed snakes), hedgehogs, and hamsters. They've also had (in the past) ferrets, sugar gliders, and a house-pet mini pig. Plus the cattle he keeps for us, and their goats, a sheep ram, and a baby donkey. The kids interact with all of them except cattle and goats. And they have daily chores at home to feed and water the hedgehogs and hamsters.

What about adding or substituting a different, more fun task, like feeding, where they won't be dealing with any aggression?

Wouldn't life be great if all of our chores were fun, and we never had to deal with aggression? Seriously - it would be fantastic, wouldn't it? But they're old enough now to start learning some real life lessons - like a strong work ethic, dealing with bullies, and facing (and winning!) challenges.

Better yet, maybe some hand feeding of treats. Greedy pecks happen but they don't hurt much and it's fun to teach chickens to expect good things from you. The kids might even see the cute side of your flock and bond with them a little!

They do. They take turns. One feeds treats, and the other collects eggs. Next day, they switch tasks. But honestly, all they want to do is get back inside so they can have a snack and play on their electronics. They love to play with the chicks, though. You're right about the bonding, though - and I wish they would. I have one special needs hen, and I've shown them what to do with her. They don't hesitate to pick her up to cuddle, and arrange her with her feed and water. But bonding with her? They're not interested.
Hmmm...... maybe I can find a way to link the electronics (photos, videos, making a storybook perhaps?) with their interactions with the flock and certain birds...... I like this idea!

Another alternative might be more of a compromise. This one hen is a known grump. Let them collect later to try and avoid encounters, and if she in particular is in there, to be allowed to skip but come back later?

Possibly. They can't come back later due to their schedule. But I might relent a little to allow them to skip the grumpy hen for awhile, until I can teach them to overcome their fear; and I'll collect her eggs later when I lock up the coop. She's not always on the nest, it's just an issue when she IS.

Could this hen use some peepers for a bit to curb her aggression/pecking accuracy, maybe? Maybe it would even be okay for the kids to take a broom or something similarly big but scary to shoo her away as needed.

Overall, I'm a fan of compromise on this. The kids are adjusting to a big life change it sounds like, and I'd be prepared to ask for different chores or to allow avoidance/shooing* of this one nuisance hen. Hopefully with more positive interactions this eventually becomes a non-issue and the fear resolves, but it may take some time.

I'll get some pinless peepers and try that. It's worth a shot. I've got a little whisk broom in the coop, might work to shoo her out of the nest. We'll try that today, too.
Thank you for your responses.

 

[Shadrach]

Tell them they won't die from a few pecks and learning how to avoid the pecks will improve their reactions required for online games.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

Have them make a tight fist and assure them the hen won’t damage them. Then let them get pecked. It’s 90% surprise and when they figure out the bark is worse than the bite. …

Once past that I showed my kids young to reach in with a fist, open hand under hen, lift her up and steal the eggs.

Easy peasy.

 

[CoopBoots]

Wouldn't life be great if all of our chores were fun, and we never had to deal with aggression? Seriously - it would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

I hope it didn't seem like I was advocating for nothing but fun, easy chores ALL of the time

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Grandma, this could also result in a loss of trust between you and the kids. In their minds, you're requiring them to do something that's scary and hurts.

And yet they'll climb and fall out of trees, break an arm, then get in trouble trying to climb it again WITH a cast on the arm; ride and crash their bikes on the gravel without knee or elbow pads, cry and get bandaged, and then go do it AGAIN; beg their Dad to let them ride the zip-line or sling-shot (not!); get mad because I won't let them jump on the trampoline because there's no net ("But MOM lets us!"); and pout when I won't let them go in the corral with our 2,200-lb bull, Homer, to "pet" him. They're smart kids, but sometimes I wonder.....

They need to have someone in their lives that's trustworthy and protective, especially now that their world is falling apart. Please rethink this. Maybe you could go out there with them, and either take the grumpy hen off the nest, or block her in some way so she can't hurt them. The message you'd be giving - that you're there for them, and they can trust you to protect them - would be something they would never forget.

Yes, you are absolutely right and I DO want them to get that message, too. Partly, I try to instill that trust and feeling of sanctuary by being consistent and fair, always. I am going out there with them today, and every day, until they are confident and unafraid of that grumpy hen.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I think all three of you should go collect the eggs together. That way, they are not being let off the hook but they do not have to do the scary stuff either. With you there helping it will not seem so scary anyway.

We've done the egg-collecting together many, many times over the past two years - and feeding, watering, etc.. I guess I just don't want to admit that they're not ready yet to handle it alone, when they should be very proficient by this time.

I guess it's just hard (for me) to adjust to the way most kids are raised these days. I know it's unique due to me being raised on a farm when times were different, but by the age of twelve I could do many things that kids aren't taught to handle today. I think it's just sad that so many kids are just plopped down in front of a TV or handed a tablet to play, instead of learning responsibility - and gaining the confidence and self-esteem that comes from it.

I'm trying to do my part to teach them those character traits, but I also don't want them to be scared of a bleeping chicken. I'll continue to collect eggs with them using some of the suggestions I've learned here today, until they are no longer afraid.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Them why are you not out there with them?

Because they are not little children; they are nearly pre-teen and old enough to learn responsibility without needing an adult to hold their hands. I'm trying to teach how families help each other - for small children, that means doing it with them - and I have. For older children and teens, that means dividing up the chores so they see how everyone's efforts contribute to the family as a whole.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hmm. I wonder if they would be willing to do without their electronic toys until they "bit the bullet" and figured out how to accomplish the task on their own? What I meean is, you say you've done it with them, you've "held their hands," so to speak, you've encouraged them, provided protective gear (gloves), etc., now you think they should be able to do this on their own. So ... what if you tell them you're confident they're able to solve the problem on their own (without harming Ms Grumpy Beak, of course) and that when they do, they can come in and play their video games. And of course you have a pretty good idea how many eggs to expect and can certainly go out and check to make sure they did indeed gather eggs from under that chicken, since they did lie to you before. If they do lie again, simple.. they can spend the evening reading (we call these things books, children) and not get their devices. They can try again tomorrow. You can wear earplugs to protect yourself from the whining.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

We had a mean mean broody, and I did not like trying to get eggs from under her. What worked was a cat litter scoop, I would lift her head side with the scoop and she couldn’t reach me to peck when I got the eggs. It didn’t hurt her and I didn’t get pecked.

Thanks for this suggestion. I may see what I can come up with for a small shield along those lines.

I do agree that this is something you should help them with at least for a bit. They may feel like this is a punishment because their parents are no longer together, and if they didn’t get divorced this wouldn’t be happening.

They were helping with collecting eggs before the divorce. Sometimes with me, sometimes by themselves. Their resistance to chores and fear of the grumpy hen only started after the divorce. It may just be that they're needing some more reassurance that they're going to be okay, and they don't have to feel "alone". So yeah, I'll continue to help them a bit more - even if just to supervise inside the coop.

Custody agreements may even change because of it, if they tell their law guardian that they are “forced to do chores with agressive animals” when they are with dad & his family. I would hate that to come up in court and affect the current arrangement.

With all due respect, I doubt a judge would consider a chicken to be an aggressive animal, when their mother has a pit bull. As to being forced to do chores, again - I doubt a judge would consider it inappropriate to assign chores to a 9 and 10-year-old. Both their mother and father approve of the current chore assignment at our house. But thank you for your thoughts and the time you spent to compose the reply. In some cases, you would be correct to be concerned.