One of my hens keeps pecking me - please help

[chozie]

I'm sorry, what is a pullet? and what do you mean by culled? That sounds bad??

 

[7L Farm]

I'm sorry, what is a pullet? and what do you mean by culled? That sounds bad??

Pullet is a female chicken under a year old. After a year they are then called Hens. To cull is to remove the bird from the flock.

 

[blacktop240]

I only have had 2 chickens bite me both roosters. I just use my big hands and pick them up and place them where ever lol They get the hint when I take them off there roost and move them on the floor or just as he was getting settled in his spot I make it my spot and stand there while he is staring at me from the floor. All my other birds are just nuts they might peck a shoe string or shorts but nothing else and they all know now I'm boss at 370 and 6'3 they can't really argue with that. I wouldn't cull the bird for it just try to assert your position as the alpha chick! Keep at it too and not ever just start screaming and covering and running away. That just makes it think it wins! Only time I would cull is if it was ill and dying or deformed and couldnt live a regular life in the outcast pen... Well or if I needed some good chicken for dinner. Just my opinion and what I do that works for me an my families chickens!

 

[Chambertin]

Never noticed the back of the head correction, thanks for the tip.
Great thing about this place is how much you can learn.

My birds come a running 90% of the time when they see me. That last 10% is when they are having too mcuh fun in the garden and just like when I was a kid, they run around begging for "5 more minutes dad!"
So I havent seen any negitive influence.
Well... one drawback. If I have a mole I want removed I will have to go to the doctor, my chickens have finally stopped trying to remove every mole and freckle from my arm.

Be dedicated and be consistant. Seems to work for me.

 

[lorain's fids]

I have 5 girls and only one pecks at the back of my legs when I am out working around them--I just noticed yesterday that I have about 6 little brusies on my leg in the calf area from her pecking. I thought she just wanted a little extra attention, so I would pick her up, maybe that wasn't a good thing to start doing. I will have to start redirecting when she pecks me, maybe a little flick on her beak will stop her.

 

[spicehens]

I have had my 4 hens less than two weeks, 3 have laid eggs except for yesterday, they actually lay late in the day but when I went in to the coop yesterday one pecked my bare leg and drew blood, it still hurts as it was quite a bad peck, I did shove her but she came back for another go, has made me reluctant to go into the coop when they are loose but I have no choice as there is no outside access to the nestboxes, they are in a converted shed, no way of altering that arrangement as it has cost me a lot of money for the conversion and coop. Any suggestions other than giving a smack would be appreciated.

 

[off-grid hen]

Just curious- Any luck with getting this hen to stop pecking you?

I have one very friendly golden comet who is constantly "investigating" my denim jeans. Sometimes she grabs skin.

I have "pecked" her with my finger, but she usually tries again after a few days. Since she's just seeming very curious, I don't think she's being aggressive since she doesn't do it every time. My chickens LOVE jeans, lol.

 

[spicehens]

I decided to use distraction tactics and give them fresh veg or something to concentrate on apart from my leggs, also now wear long trousers with boots! Incidentally one of them found a slug this morning, didn't realise they ate them, there are loads in my garden but not sure I want them to eat 'meat'

 

[off-grid hen]

I wouldn't worry about the "meat" part. They would stumble upon it in the wild and eat it, and it helps balance their amino acids. It's a great way to get rid of the slugs.

 

[DanEP]

All bugs are meat just smaller portions. Chickens have been eating bugs as long as there have been chickens it just helps them to have a more balanced diet.