My chicken is pecking me!

[samjoh95]

I'm new to raising chickens and I have 12 2 month old chickens. when my family and I bought our coop, the family we bought it from had a chicken they didn't want anymore. So we took her. She has been fine with our chicks, and the rest of my family, but she pecks at me every time I'm around her. Have I done something to upset her???

 

[Ruth Ann]

LOL...I think mostly they peck because they think EVERYTHING is food. A mole, a dirt speck or a freckle....they are trying to eat
it. We are just walking vending machines to them ya know.
I do have one that pecks me in the butt when I am sitting on the stump holding another chicken.
I do believe she is a jealous chicken.

 

[aart]

Have had this happen several times, mostly with hand fed chicks often as they come of age and get spunky. It's pretty easily curbed with calm and deliberate determination.

I peck them back, on the head or anywhere I can reach, with the tips of thumb and first 2 fingers, as hard and fast as many times as I can before they get away. Well, not hard enough to hurt them, just startle them and let them you mean business. That's what another chicken would do, so they understand that kind of communication.

If that doesn't work after a couple applications, I hold them down to the ground with my hand on their back until they submit....again firmly enough to get the job done but not hurt them....add a few finger pecks and/or tug on the feathers on the back of their neck.

 

[pamonarch]

If you're jerking away when she pecks you, stop. I've found that chickens can become quite violent when they get a reaction from the human they're investigating, but it usually stops very quickly once the human starts ignoring pecking. If that doesn't work, I don't have any advice.

Good luck!

scoop her up quickly and hold her close to you...carry her around for a few minutes....gently put her down and if she does it again, repeat the process...it works after a few times she will stop pecking..it does .with my hen, anyway..lol

 

[Nadya Russell]

I'm new to raising chickens and I have 12 2 month old chickens. when my family and I bought our coop, the family we bought it from had a chicken they didn't want anymore. So we took her. She has been fine with our chicks, and the rest of my family, but she pecks at me every time I'm around her. Have I done something to upset her???

I have 4 8 week old pullets. 2 Barred Rocks and 2 Red Sex Links. One Barred Rock has started pecking. Well, I just watch what they do to each other and did what they do. If a chick pecks you softly, like it is just curious, I don't care. If it pecks your hand or leg pretty hard, I call out with a loud BRRR! Like they do when they jump on each other. It really works! So far, I never have to touch them to correct them. Like horses they really sense our energy more than our wanting to use physical force.
Just for fun, try it. I hope it helps!
All the best

 

[5Leepy!]

Besides pecking at moles or or any other spots you have visible, I take pecking to usually be an attempt to be higher than you in the pecking order. If I were you, I'd peck back. That's what we do with our chicks and pullets when they're growing up so they'll know we're the top hen or rooster. We use our index finger and peck them on the top of their heads or back, whatever we can reach. The only time we get pecked now is from one Hen who pecks us when she doesn't want to be disturbed when she's laying. If we try to reach under her, she'll peck us but very gently to just let us know she's not happy.

Good Luck!

 

[smallbluejellybean]

I pecked my chickens back and got a mouthful of feathers for my effort. Next time I am going wear a big chicken suit and freak them out when I lay a huge egg. Then they will know who is highest in the pecking order.

 

[acsteele]

Today I went out to gather eggs and one of the chickens pecked the hand with the egg. Broke the skin on my hand and the egg. I tapped it on the beak and said "No. Bad chicken". But what bothers me most is none of my chickens have reacted this violently to me removing eggs before.

She may be feeling like brooding those eggs. We are now on our third broody hen this year, they get a little cranky with me taking them, but since we have no rooster yet, I have to swap out her eggs for fertilized eggs we get for the girls to hatch

 

[tigger19687]

Mine pecked my shin the other day...... I think she was telling me that I should probably shave if I am going to wear shorts

 

[sharkerbaby]

I inadvertently invited my chickens to peck my feet... decided to buy some slip on crocs for use solely as muck shoes and frugally went for the cheapest pair I could find - that pair just so happens to be red - which we all know in chickenese means "must follow and peck!"