I'm intimidated by my hens..

[Sheepy]

If you spend enough quality time with your chickens, occasionally bringing them special treats, they'll LOVE to see you coming!

 

[NanaLantana]

I have an awful lot of mosquitoes around lately, and in the evenings when I let the chickens out to free-range, they like to be near me. I sit in my chair, and when I see mosquitoes on my legs, I say "PIC" and tap my leg, and the chickens eat the mosquitoes off me! It's done so very gently - I hardly even feel the beak, they're so efficient. (I like to think they peck so gently because they love me! I'm the mamma - - - - )

 

[Pele]

Quote:
hahaha! Talk about going organic! That's got to be healthier than smearing poisonous stuff all over your skin to keep em off.

But seriously, your average old auntie Gertrude pinches harder than chickens. Once you get over the primitive brain's 'gah fast movement!' impulse, your higher brain will go 'gosh that didn't hurt in the slightest!' and it won't be an issue anymore.

 

[Christie Rhae]

I have raised all my hens from babies so cannot imagine being intimidated by them. They are my babies! lol
I would suggest feeding them something they really like out of the palm of your hand. Let them peck the food out of your hand. Exposure therapy. You will then get used to what it feels like to get pecked and you will no longer fear it. I have had to use this method with many things in my life. I have still not let a spider crawl on me to over come my fear of spiders. Just don't wanna. I do point out spiders to my chickens so they can eat them. lol!

 

[Keileigh]

I totally understand -- it's the nervous anticipation that it might happen that's hard to handle. I'm the same way with those canned biscuits that say "peel in direction of arrow until can pops."

Ditto to what everyone else is saying, though, getting pecked isn't like getting stuck with a needle or anything. I think it's just the unpredictability of it that's a problem. Just do the chair thing, get to know their personalities and behavior, and you'll be reaching under them to collect eggs in no time.

 

[mariel37]

Quote:
You are so right! This new chicken experience has actually been some quality time with my two teenage sons. They help with the chickens everyday, and we have spent some fun time just sitting out there, watching the chickens (and they ARE funny) and just talking together.

It's nice to be able to get my boys off the computer every once in a while.

 

[greenSearcher]

Feeding your girls treats doesn't have to be expensive. They love BOSS, grains, leftovers. We have a routine that about an hour or so before dark I take out a good size bowl of "treat" and divide it between the three coops. Everyone is happy and nary a crumb is wasted. I get most of the produce for treats from the grocery market, a couple times a week I go to the produce area and "trash pick" getting amazingly good stuff. Apples and pears are my favorite, they can keep for days when bruised until they are nasty. If you have a bread thrift store, you can pick up breads. I used to get a trash bag of "feed bread" for a dollar until Mrs Bairds closed all the stores in our area. Oh well. Hmmm just thought about going to a deli/sandwich shop and checking for their stale rolls...

 

[Mamma_Duck04]

I expected my son to have problems with the chicks possibly pecking him, so I got some meal worms & had him give them a couple, then we sprinkled their food in his hand & I held his hand while they ate it (why is hand feeding the SAME food so much more enticing? LOL). The only thing that kinda hurts is when you curl your fingers a bit too much & they latch on to a pinch of skin lol, but I still can't really say it HURTS opposed to it just being a really weird feeling.

When I was little, a big turkey pecked a piece of grain off the palm of my hand & I still panic at the thought of that lol, it HURT!! But I've never had a chicken do that. But then again, like another poster said, I'm much bigger & can squash em like a bug ;-)

I'm also used to dogs, I end up unintentionally crossing my dog training to everything else

so I have a tendency to be the dominant critter in the group & though I won't eat them, I assure them this lol, I do expect them to listen. So when I try shooing them & one puffs up against my hand, I give her a little shove instead, she usually turns away quickly. If one tries pecking me inappropriately, I just reach out & give her a grab on her beak. They really do respond well, they don't really have anything too scary as the roosters have (or my mom's tom turkey LOL).

I say if you can deal with an ankle-biter dog (no offense, just my descriptive lol), you can deal with these chickens! Be big & tough! These chickens got nothing on you

"Be the alpha dog" in the coop.

Good luck!

 

[jeepchick]

You must embrace your inner Alpha-chicken! Now I'm newish to chickens so I don't know if their little brains work this way too but when ever I am interacting with any of our pets/farm animals I put on my arrogant "like I own the place" attitude. I have always been told that animals can sense fear.... I would assume chickens can too on some raw survival instinct level. And if that doesnt work....bribery (treats) is always good....I dont care what species you are

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

I do own the place. When any chickens give me attitude I tell them they are begging for the stew pot.