Smacking the chickens?

[Ellie]

Thank you for coming here to post... it took courage, as others have pointed out. The best thing, though, is that you got some terrific advice.

Who here hasn't felt anger with a spouse, relative, child, animal, or whatever? We have all been there at least....

Hey, spend some quality loving time with your chicken.... bet you will see a difference in attitudes all the way around.

'Tis true that if you give treats out of those now scary hands, your hen will start to come to you and trust you with time.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I used to have a pet parrot that drove me absolutely up the wall with frustration. I should have given her away long before I finally did. Not a good story.

 

[RASTACHICKI]

The beauty about chickens is if they get out of hand, you can make gumbo out of them. I be darn if i am going to let my chickens peck me and get away with it! Just kidding!! But for real if they get mean then get your ROUX going and fix some gumbo.

 

[seminolewind]

Eeiko, you might want to start with bread. Drop little pieces around you, then let them take it out of your hand. Might take a day or two. Then when they follow you anywhere to get a piece of bread, give them a piece or two and lure them to the coop, and toss a few pieces in there. It won't take long till they are jumping in the coop to get the bread!

 

[TubbyChicken]

Have I ever slapped one of my chickens? No.

I'm honestly a little confused by the lack of upset over this post. I understand that everyone wants to show compassion for the OP but I didn't read a lot of remorse in the first post...and I can't condone the behavior. I realize that many people here raise meat chickens and see the birds as disposable, but slapping around a small, prey animal out of frustration (from what the OP described it sounded like the hen was reacting fearfully and that incited the frustration) isn't funny, cute or something I can relate to you.

To the OP...I'm glad that you realize your action was a mistake and I sincerely recommend you seek some tools for helping yourself cope with anger/frustration. You may or may not be able to overcome this with the hen but I would try giving her lots of treats being very gentle and taking your time with her.

...and to those who compare this to children and dogs. I hope to never hit my child or any human being...and while I don't condone slapping or kicking dogs, I still can't compare it to slapping around a small, fragile, prey animal, scared out of it's mind.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
People are people and none of us are perfect. Not you, not I or the poster. Never will be. People make mistakes and this poster realized hers right away. To err is human to forgive is divine.

 

[dancingbear]

I don't know why nobody has asked this, but how late was it when you were trying to get the hen to go in? If it wasn't close enough to dark, then all her instincts were telling her to be outside eating and scratching. If you put a light in the coop, and turn it on just a little before dark, and keep food and water in the coop, and have roosting poles at a good height for the size of the hen, (large chickens need lower roosts, so they don't injure themselves jumping down, and higher roosts should have some lower poles for the chickens to jump up on, like a ladder almost, rather than make one high jump) she'll probably go in, but not until dark. Some chickens will stay out a little later than others. I've got certain ones that always stay out until nearly full dark, while others go in as soon as the sun nears the horizon.

If something in the coop alarmed her, she might never go in there. I don't know if you scared her that much or not, but it's possible.

Chickens have no concept of right and wrong, nor are they aware of what you want them to do. They are not "misbehaving" or "being bad". They're just acting like chickens. It's up to you to learn what normal chicken behavior is, and work with that to get a chicken to do what you want, or accept that you will have to change to work with normal chicken instincts.

 

[jjthink]

Cruelty is never okay, particularly toward a vulnerable little being. It matters not how frustrated we get - we need to control our impulses. But it is commendable that you are being so honest, owning up to it being wrong and committing to never doing it again. This wee thing is now frightened, if not also injured, and without recourse - she may feel her whole world is now uncertain and scary. I would make it a primary mission to make it up to this feathered soul - it will take, time, effort, patience and commitment to win her trust. Maybe months of time, effort, patience and commitment but it will be worth it when you see her come to trust you. There is no greater gift than earning anothers trust.
You will feel like a million bucks when that day comes and I sincerely wish that for you.
JJ

 

[chickenma]

Quote:
Same here if they peck eachother in the coop, i "peck" them back

 

[TubbyChicken]

Sorry. Double Post.