Plymouth Rock Bites Me

[enmylou]

Hi,
I'm new to backyard chickens. Just built an awesome coop and picked up some chickens last weekend. Pullets actually. They are totally feral and we cannot get near them at all. They won't roost in the coop. Every night we have to heard them into the coop and the Plymouth Rock has attacked me on several occasions. This is not how I imagined keeping chickens would be. I have a Rhode Island Red (18 weeks), Plymouth Rock (15 weeks) and 2 Wyandotte (12 weeks). The guy who sold them to me said they would be fine seperate ages because they are all kept together. I wanted to raise day old chicks so they were used to me but was advised to get pullets or POL for my first chickens. I'm almost ready to sell these ones on as I'm not happy about being nipped every time I try to get them to bed. Any advice or tips would. E greatly appreciate.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi,
I'm new to backyard chickens. Just built an awesome coop and picked up some chickens last weekend. Pullets actually. They are totally feral and we cannot get near them at all. They won't roost in the coop. Every night we have to heard them into the coop and the Plymouth Rock has attacked me on several occasions. This is not how I imagined keeping chickens would be. I have a Rhode Island Red (18 weeks), Plymouth Rock (15 weeks) and 2 Wyandotte (12 weeks). The guy who sold them to me said they would be fine seperate ages because they are all kept together. I wanted to raise day old chicks so they were used to me but was advised to get pullets or POL for my first chickens. I'm almost ready to sell these ones on as I'm not happy about being nipped every time I try to get them to bed. Any advice or tips would. E greatly appreciate.

Sell them and get you some chicks. Its hard/time consuming to retrain "adult" (almost) chickens, but it Might could be done. Everyone has their way of raising them. I personally do not want my chickens to be my pets so distance is fine with me, because when the Layers get 2 years old or so---they are heading to the auction sale(or sold local) anyway---it would be hard to sell your pets/buddies/etc. BUT I can tell it would be best for you to start with chicks-----but that will not give you a guarantee some will dot peck on you some. Good Luck

 

[Spartan22]

Hi,
I'm new to backyard chickens. Just built an awesome coop and picked up some chickens last weekend. Pullets actually. They are totally feral and we cannot get near them at all. They won't roost in the coop. Every night we have to heard them into the coop and the Plymouth Rock has attacked me on several occasions. This is not how I imagined keeping chickens would be. I have a Rhode Island Red (18 weeks), Plymouth Rock (15 weeks) and 2 Wyandotte (12 weeks). The guy who sold them to me said they would be fine seperate ages because they are all kept together. I wanted to raise day old chicks so they were used to me but was advised to get pullets or POL for my first chickens. I'm almost ready to sell these ones on as I'm not happy about being nipped every time I try to get them to bed. Any advice or tips would. E greatly appreciate.

I've only raised hens from a day old and never had any problem. All my chickens are friendly (30++)w/ an excemption of a Wyandottes that doesn't want to be touch, but a POL can be tamed, they get friendlier once they started laying eggs, all my Plymouth Rocks are the friendliest.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Definitely start with chicks if you want friendlier chickens. That said, it's not that these pullets can't be tamed, but they've obviously not been handled and they're scared (new home, scary people) so it's going to take time and effort to win them over. Pull a chair into the run, sit with them, and let them get used to you. Don't attempt to touch them or even approach them at first - let them come to you. If you can find some treats they might like (mealworms, bits of leafy greens, fruit) toss those to them as they get closer so they learn to associate you with good things. If you repeat this day after day they should eventually get over their wariness and even start approaching you without bribes.

I imagine the biter is doing so out of fear. I wouldn't start correcting her just yet, because she's still so wary of you, but if she continues to bite in the future, "peck" her back. When she bites, tap her back on the head, hard enough to get a reaction but of course not so hard as to hurt. If she does it again, you repeat it. It's how another chicken would correct her if it didn't like being bitten.

You'll probably have to keep herding them into the coop for the time being. Actually you might want to just lock them up in there for a few days so they learn that the coop is home. Might want to try that first, just to see if you can get that issue resolved.