My hen pecks me all the time!

[posarella]

So when I let out my 6 hens, they all go about thier friendly business, pecking and scratcing at the ground. But one of my hens will ALWAYS come right at me and try with all her might to peck at my skin or my jeans, and it hurt! A lot! I have tried to get her to submit, and it works for a minute if I gently press on her back to calm her down to the ground. But then she goes after me again! I try using my foot to sweep her asisde and that has stopped working too. All the other hens are sweet and gentle, but this one will always do it and it always hurts! I have pruple welts and cant be at peace in my backyard. This wouldn't be such a big deal for me, but she does it to my 9-year old son too. All of the other hens have started laying recently, and I dont know if she has, but she is certainly the last. I love her and really want to change this behavior.

Any advice would help!

Thanks!

 

[stilwellchick]

If she isn't laying yet, maybe when she starts she will mellow out. Might try taking a squirt bottle of water outside with you. Are sure she is a hen not a roo protecting the flock?

 

[blue fire]

Maybe she is curious. If you let her peck at your jeans,and make sure they are lose. she might eventualy get tired of pecking you

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Do you handfeed your chickens any? I know mine started following me around and pecking at "nonexistant mealworms", once I started handfeeding.

If you have a pair of pants you can spare, try smothering them in pinetar and take them for a spin. It works when chickens peck eachother, why wouldn't it work if she is trying to peck you? It's what I would try.

The squirt bottle was a good idea, too.

-Kim

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I think it is cute when my hens peck my jeans (though, yeah, it hurts if they accidentally get skin). I have one pair they especially like. I realized that the fabric has lighter and darker areas that they think might be something yummy. LOL The worst is when I am holding them and I see them staring at my bottom lip (I know to dodge immediately). I have a very dark freckle on my bottom lip. Got a chunk ripped out one day. Then she looked at me like "oh wait mom, it is still there, let me get that tick for you!!!".

 

[Churkenduse]

I read somewhere if you need to stop a behavior in chickens then treat them as you would a dog...Stand straight up and with a strern voice say no while you hold your hand up to distract them.

After awhile they will understand you don't like that and stop. Worked for me, they try to jump me every time I go in the run to give them a treat..Now I have one that just squats as soon as I go in and that is a sign of submission,,,I am her leader andthat is what you want.

They start with pecking and graduate to jumping, it may be cute for awhile but it can become dangerous to you and others so you need to stop it now.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

They start with pecking and graduate to jumping, it may be cute for awhile but it can become dangerous to you and others so you need to stop it now

I can't imagine that ANYTHING could stop mine from trying to eat my lip, though.

If a chicken sees a nice, big, tick (yeah, I know, sounds awful) they are going to grab it. My own mother has spent my entire life saying "Hon, there is something on your bottom lip" and I am 37.....if she can't even learn it is a freckle, the chickens surely can't. LOL​