Rude chickie!

[RcknSAHM]

I got 3 new babies yesterday an ameracuna, barred rock, and cause i couldnt help myself a bantam silkie. my ameracuna is MEAN. she wants to peck at me anytime i put my hand in the brooder. how can i 'fix' this? she is only about 1 month old. im thinking lots of holding and attention will help, just wanted some other opinions. and the silkie loves to be held, so sweet!

 

[Papa Rooster]

Give it treats and stuff.

 

[Sorin]

Treats are a good idea, also holding her, but you may want to "peck" her back. I have had to do that with adults before. And by peck I mean very, very lightly tap the chicken back. Do not harm her of course, but a light tap on the beak may show her you are higher in the pecking order. I had a BR that would peck at me when I got close, I pecked her back and she never did it again.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I would say keep holding it, give it treats. I have a 7 week old chick that pecks, probably roo and I lift him up by his legs upside down for a few second. I'm trying to teach him who's boss now or he'll end up going to freezer camp.

 

[Papa Rooster]

i couldnt peck my rooster. everytime i did he would go deprressed and lay over belly up in the corner. probally explains why he was the first to get eaten in the predator raids.

 

[ChickenGirl3]

Hi,
My americana is also MEAN! I didn't give her treats i just said.... YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SICK OF YOU! She let me pet her and hold, but she still runs from me.

 

[ChickenGirl3]

Quote:
Thats kinda sad thinking about but then i was like he deserved it. SAD=

Deserve=

 

[Wildflower_VA]

One of my BA 'pullets' has always done that since it was a couple of days old. At five weeks, I am pretty sure it is a rooster and is protecting his hens. I had to take them out of the brooder today for housekeeping. I put them back in first, then put in the feeder and waterer. I got challenged every time I put my hand in. This chick was like a bullet charging my hand and it pecked quite hard. I didn't 'peck' it back because I want them to trust me. As soon as I have them out in a coop and run, I will probably have to establish Who's The Boss very quickly (or be bossed around by a half-pound bundle of feathers).

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
I read, from your words, that you didn't want to peck an aggressive chick because want your chicks to "trust" you, but it really sounds like you think it will think you are mean for pecking it.

It is the Chicken Way to establish a pecking order. That's what they know; it's wired into them. If you don't establish that you're the boss as early as necessary, it will be harder to enforce it. Mama hens peck their chicks. Other hens peck chicks; they are letting the chick(s) know who has more status. You need to do that too. You can cuddle and snuggle with chicks that accept it, but if you don't let an upstart know it is stepping out of bounds, it will not know you're the Boss.

I put my forefinger and middle finger together and thunk the aggressor on the back of the neck, or the top of the head, or on its back. Gently. Just once, unless it tries to peck me again. Then it gets a little bit harder "peck." This is something they understand.

Conversely, picking a chick or chicken up by the legs and holding it upside down can harm them, if done for too long a time. I have never done that to a chicken. Or chick. I HAVE picked up an uppity rooster and carried him around like a football under my arm for 15 minutes or so, and that serves to let him know I'm his boss.

Something to think about, anyway.

 

[RcknSAHM]

I will have to use these tips. Thanks to everyone who commented, ill keep posted how this turns out.