Question on behavior??

[Ohio Chick]

Hello everyone! I have a question on chicken behavior & I'm hoping you guys can help. I have a mixed flock of 6 week old pullets (I hope). My 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks have become very nippy lately. One of them hasn't been overly friendly the first 4 weeks but didn't start nipping until 4 weeks. I flicked her on the beak & pushed her a few times & now she has become civil & less nippy. The other Plymouth Rock has been extremely friendly & was the first one to jump on me & fall asleep. She likes to sit on me & has even sat on my shoulder a few times. Now she has decided that she was to nip me, & nip pretty hard. I tried the flicking & pushing with her & she hasn't stopped nipping. I really want my friendly chicken back, is there anything I can do?

 

[BYCforlife]

Hello everyone! I have a question on chicken behavior & I'm hoping you guys can help. I have a mixed flock of 6 week old pullets (I hope). My 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks have become very nippy lately. One of them hasn't been overly friendly the first 4 weeks but didn't start nipping until 4 weeks. I flicked her on the beak & pushed her a few times & now she has become civil & less nippy. The other Plymouth Rock has been extremely friendly & was the first one to jump on me & fall asleep. She likes to sit on me & has even sat on my shoulder a few times. Now she has decided that she was to nip me, & nip pretty hard. I tried the flicking & pushing with her & she hasn't stopped nipping. I really want my friendly chicken back, is there anything I can do?

Mine don't normally start getting mean that young. Not sure if you can get the "nice" pullet back, but you can show them you won't tolerate nipping. I stopped mine from pecking by just picking her up and gently shaking her. She comes up to me every time now.

How many 6 week olds do you have? If they were sold unsexed, there might be half cockerels.

 

[Ohio Chick]

I have 9 girls. I paid for females so they should be female. I understand that mistakes can happen but only wanted females. The neighbors didn't want us to have a rooster. I have 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Plymouth Rocks, 2 Golden Laced Wyandottes, 2 Buckeyes & on Rhode Island Red that the hatchery threw in for free. I will try picking her up & shaking her. I've been pretty busy trying to get their coop finished so I haven't spent as much time with them as I would like. They have a good amount of space right now (4x8), but they'll have a ton more when we can finish their chicken palace.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!
Are you hand feeding when the nipping happens?
Are they sitting on your body when they nip?

I don't let birds sit on my body unless I put them there.
While it's cute to have them jump on you it can be a bit of domination behavior,
best to not allow it..it gets much less cute as they get bigger.
....and watch your eyes, in the space of a blink they can peck that shiny thing.

Tho both genders can get pecky, do any of your 6wk olds have a much redder and/or larger comb/wattles? Post pics here if you're not sure or want to confirm.

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

 

[Ohio Chick]

Welcome to BYC!
Are you hand feeding when the nipping happens?
Are they sitting on your body when they nip?

I don't let birds sit on my body unless I put them there.
While it's cute to have them jump on you it can be a bit of domination behavior,
best to not allow it..it gets much less cute as they get bigger.
....and watch your eyes, in the space of a blink they can peck that shiny thing.

Tho both genders can get pecky, do any of your 6wk olds have a much redder and/or larger comb/wattles? Post pics here if you're not sure or want to confirm.

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

Thanks for replying & helping. I haven't actually hand fed them since they were 2 weeks old because they started getting really voracious about the food, lol. They haven't nipped me when they were sitting on me yet. Mostly when I'm reaching in & petting them. Their sisters all run up when I open the door & like belly scratches & so did they until recently. I can see where the sitting on me can be a dominant thing. So you would suggest not sitting in the brooder with them? The Orpingtons love falling asleep in crook of my arm & I guess I thought it was cute. I haven't noticed anyone having a more red comb or wattle but if I can get some good pics I'll try & post them. They love not holding still for pictures! Is a more hands off approach better? I don't know birds very well, the only experience I have with them are parrots that a friend had & they loved being pet & held. My chickens act like I'm killing them if I pick them up.

 

[aart]

Parrots are different, but they can get vicious of not handled regularly.

With chickens it's delicate balance between cuddling them and them getting nippy.
Cuddling's OK.....jumping on you uninvited is not.
Hand feeding is OK...aggressive pecking is not.

Handling frequently enough let's them learn that 'they won't die' if you touch them.
but some still may never want to be held without a struggle or allow being touched at all....and some will.
Holding them until they calm down is good,
when I put them back on the ground,
I kind of hold them for a slow release instead of letting them bolt away,
again kind of making them calm down before being released,
kind of 'not rewarding a temper tantrum'.

I had 2 chicks that never stopped screaming while I was holding them as chicks,
when they got older tho, they would come up to me and want to be picked up and held....crazy birds...smh,

It's just practice and experience, you'll get the hang of it.
Just some rather unorganized thoughts.

 

[Ohio Chick]

Parrots are different, but they can get vicious of not handled regularly.

With chickens it's delicate balance between cuddling them and them getting nippy.
Cuddling's OK.....jumping on you uninvited is not.
Hand feeding is OK...aggressive pecking is not.

Handling frequently enough let's them learn that 'they won't die' if you touch them.
but some still may never want to be held without a struggle or allow being touched at all....and some will.
Holding them until they calm down is good,
when I put them back on the ground,
I kind of hold them for a slow release instead of letting them bolt away,
again kind of making them calm down before being released,
kind of 'not rewarding a temper tantrum'.

I had 2 chicks that never stopped screaming while I was holding them as chicks,
when they got older tho, they would come up to me and want to be picked up and held....crazy birds...smh,

It's just practice and experience, you'll get the hang of it.
Just some rather unorganized thoughts.

Thanks fir the advice, I really appreciate you & this website. I'm a girl that was raised in the inner city of Toledo & now I'm a country girl that doesn't know what she's doing, lol. I will try picking them up more & cuddling that way. The Buckeyes are the worst screamers about getting picked up & the Wyandottes make me chase them down.

 

[Ohio Chick]

Update: I was cleaning the brooder tonight & when I wasn't paying attention one of the Plymouth Rocks decided to fly at me. She managed to get up to my chest. She took me by surprise so I'm not sure which one it was. I batted her down & tried to catch her but the little buggers are fast. Does chasing her & yelling do anything, lol? I tried then for several minutes to catch either one of them & failed. The other chickens are a dream, no trouble & most of them come right up to me. I will keep at it. I'm hoping to get them in their coop on Sunday or Monday, maybe that will be better. PS: I posted the pics on that other thread.

 

[aart]

I batted her down & tried to catch her but the little buggers are fast. Does chasing her & yelling do anything, lol?

Nah, I just bat them down too....very short chase is plenty, they get that.