She pecked my eye!!! Ow!!

[cookinmom]

I don't want to be an alarmist, but a little bit ago, I was bent over petting one of our buff orp pullets and she jumped up and pecked me right in the eye! I sure didn't ever expect that! I was petting her and several others, so it wasn't just her. Maybe she was TO'd because I didn't bring them a snack. I don't carry snacks with me every time I go out, Geez!

Anybody else ever had this happen?

 

[akcskye]

It's natural...they see that big brown (my eye color anyway) dot and are curious as to what it is.

I don't ever let my chickens, babies OR adults, near my face...you never know when curiosity will get the best of them.

Watch them, and you'll probably notice them doing it to each other too.

Kristi

 

[cookinmom]

I guess I should have figured it was a possibility. She jumped straight up at me!

 

[Picco]

I've had them jump at my eyes but they have never actually got me. Eyes are shiny and chickens love shiny things. My grandmother nearly lost her eye from a rooster about ten years ago. She had to go to the ER and was treated for a damaged cornea. She's fine now but still has a grey spot on the white of her eye.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Exactly what I was gonna say, Picco!
I've been pecked by Tom twice and by Obelisk a couple of times too. Once she was even sitting on my chest waiting for me to wake up from a nap so that she could eat that shiny grape thing...Yum...

 

[chickenmomva]

I went out to the pen once to clean up one day and i had on a sweater that had shiny stuff on it and I just about lost my sweater..........wont wear that one again........the sun caught it just right and it was like cats chasing a flash light but the chicks were chasing me not fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

[mlheran]

That's why I don't wear my glasses when I pick them up to look them over! It would be good eye protection, but wow, those shiny lenses and frames must look delicious to them!

I also always offer treats with my right hand, as they always pick at my wedding band if I use my left.

Just be careful around them!

 

[Jillylam]

I got an eye peck when I was leaning down to pick up some poo. She came around from behind me - I never saw her coming. She must have been watching me from the side but I didn't even see her checking out my "shiny grape thing". I had no damage to my eye but it hurt for a while. That learned me!

My little Ameraucana 'Sweetie-Girl' loves to pull my hair. If I tilt my head down towards her she plucks at my hair. It doesn't hurt since she really doesn't pull it very hard. It actually kind of tickles.

 

[CarriBrown]

I never wear my diamond ring around them, only the wedding band. Chicken Hawk sees that shiny "bug" and won't leave it alone!!

 

[cookinmom]

I'll keep my shiny grape things far away from sharp beaks from now on!

Only Pearl can get on my lap now! I've seen Melody cock her little eye at me before like she might peck my face, and I shoo'd her off my lap. One of the little roos pecked my tooth once, so that should have learned me!