Ouch! What a peck

[henrietta101]

I am new to chickens and have pullets roughly at 12 weeks. When I hand feed 3 of them ouch does it hurt. They peck like mad. I get the kids to put a little food in a cup as it was hurting them. Is this something to do with as they get older? Or is it that they are REALLY HUNGRY!!! I have been wondernig if i am giving them enough.

 

[CupOJoe42]

I have a few that are hard peckers also. Some even like to peck and twist at the same time - OUCH! Of course, nothing hurts like getting pecked in the eye (yes, it happened last week!) When I get pecked hard, I sometimes try to grab their beak and hold it closed for a couple of seconds with a stern "NO." Or I push the culprit away and let the others eat first. Don't know if it helps, I'm new at this.

 

[Ole rooster]

I know what you mean. I feed my little flock meal worms and one of the BO's does not want to come around front and share in the fight with the other hens. She goes around behind me and pecks me in the back to let me know she's there. At first I thought that was cute, but now her beak is sharper and she pecks harder. Needless to say I don't wear a tee shirt anymore. Also while she's pecking she sing a little tune too. I guess the tune is suppose to keep my response calm.

 

[Ukiah]

I have some who HURT when being fed out of my hand, then others who are

as gentle as they can be. I think it's just an individual chicken thing. Some peck
harder than others. That's how my flock is, anyways. I even have them memorized
by who pecks hard and who don't xD I have some like dobieslady1, too. Peck and
twist

THAT'S what hurts.

 

[mcjessen]

My Australorp is a hard pecker. LOL! That made me laugh after I typed it. When hand feeding she is so aggressive that she'll peck and twist. It's like she's never eaten before. My BO isn't interested in being hand fed anymore but from what I remember, she was pretty gentle.

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
My BO's are the same.... They are so social, but kind of demand special attention.... Works most of the time I admit!

 

[cluck-darth-peep]

Quote:
They do not understand when you grab their beak and say no. They WILL UNDERSTAND if you grab a feather and hold on for 5 seconds. The leader of the pack, will always grab a wing with its beak to keep other chickens in line. My BR is the leader and when she would walk behind me and grab my cloths (humans have no feathers to grab), I would hang onto a feather. After the 3rd attempt at my cloths and I held onto a feather, she never pecked me or pulled my cloths again. Think CHICKEN.

 

[gryeyes]

Cluck-darth-peep is correct. Holding the beak doesn't mean anything to a chicken, and the response to "No!" is usually "Bok!?!?"

So, I peck back, using my forefinger and middle finger together to thunk the hen right on the side of her head. If she does it again, I peck her again. The third time, I pull on a feather.

They really do learn not to peck when you do this.

(ETA: the word "on" as I pull ON a feather, not pull one out as one might surmise from my original syntax.)

 

[Pele]

Quote:
We're always on the same page Gryeyes

And it is true that some hens are a proverbial bull in a china shop with their beaks, while others are as delicate as brain surgeons. Go figure, chickens are weird (delightfully so).

 

[cluck-darth-peep]

Quote:
Thanks Gryeyes. And I must stress I am NOT pulling out a feather, just grab one and hold it for a few seconds when she pulls back, then let the feather go. You just told her, no, in chicken. But please, do not pull out the feather. Your only holding the feather for a few seconds then letting go. She will get the idea and stop pecking your cloths, remember, you have no feathers so its the cloths they tug. Your chicken is keeping you, in line. Watch how she does this quick feather pull to her flock and you will see how to think chicken, not human. Again, you are not pulling the feather out.