Mean RIRs

[denise wills]

Growing up, our chickens were never agressive so when I got my babies I decided on RIRs and Leghorns. I have had them since they were 2 days old. They have always been hand fed,held and treated like pets not livestock.The RIRs are so mean they have tore my legs up pecking me. Is there any way to break this habit

( other than having them for dinner)

 

[Fred's Hens]

Honestly? My answer may not sit right with you. I'll try to be very gentle.

Kind of like the dentist who says, "you may feel a slight pinch". LOL

We do treat our birds like livestock, beloved, well kept, pampered livestock and they are calm and unaffected toward me as can be. I'm just sort of the landscape, like a fencepost or tree, except, of course, that I'm the fencepost that feeds them. In other words, sometimes the over indulgent hand raising, etc just plain backfires as the birds don't particularly calmly see you as a fencepost nor even as a superior Big bird. They are far too self assured about you and treat you as an underling.

While not the case with all hand raised roosters, in far too many cases the hand raised cockerel becomes intolerable once he becomes his full rooster self. Just sayin.
No you don't need to make soup out of them. Chickens adjust their pecking order all the time. The can adjust.

 

[denise wills]

So do I need to peck back? LOL I dont have any roosters and all my girls do come running when I go outside as I usually have some type of treat for them. They LOVE watermelons. The leghorns are as sweet as they can be.

 

[Fred's Hens]

No, you don't need to be mean or harsh, but assertive and confident. Wear boots and long pants and don't put up with nonsense. You can be firm, but gentle, but they've got to know that attacking you, smothering you, pecking you, etc, is simply not appropriate and is unacceptable. Just take your boot and gently, gently push them back or to the side, You could even take a corn broom with you so you can sort of softly sweep them backward or to the side. That's not something they've seen before and I doubt they'd be overly confident with you handling a broom. Remember, meanness has no place in this. Yes, a chicken understands meanness, but I won't practice it, not with hens. I'm either this benign being or a rooster to be respected, however they wish to perceive me is just fine. I like having them come close to me and cluck talk. That's nice. Not all do, but most do. Others just sort of watch, while others take a step backward, not in fear, but in respect and caution. That's all fine. But pecking me?

No. That isn't happening.

 

[denise wills]

Thanks...been thinking about taking a water gun out with me.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I prefer a more direct approach. I really like pushing them gently out of the way, or backing them down, or just gently pushing them back with a corn broom. But, whatever works for you. I'm sure the squirt gun would work.

 

[tambra]

Hello my name is tambra ... i was reading your post about your chickens pecking you every time you go in the coop ... my self i wouldnt put up with that at all ... at to be mean to the birds but i would take a inforcer with me like a broom ... not to hit them with it but to move them out of the way and not letting the peck me... it could be come a habit for them..

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

You could try treating them as a rooster would. He would correct the unwanted behavior by pressing down on the middle of their back with his beak and holds them there until they stop struggling. My neighbors roo has done it to a couple of the pullets across the street. When they peck your legs just quickly as you can(since they will run when you try and touch them) push down on the back firmly but not hard and hold them down until they stop struggling. Then let them up when you feel they have gotten the point. It may take a few times but it usually works. Or you could separate the offender out for 2-3 days and put them "in jail" so to speak. A dog crate next to the coop and making them watch all their friends have fun running around while they are incarsarated may work too.