They finally like me!!

[abejita]

So I've had my pullets for about two and a half weeks now. They are finally starting to like me or rather start to see me as something that won't eat them and brings them food,

Today, the shyest buff started to eat from my hand. The problems is she pecks hard! When the others eat from my hand, I can feel their beaks a little, but they are gentle. The buff actually picks up the skin on my palm. She hasn't drawn blood, but it doesn't feel good. I've read that some people 'peck' the hens when they are doing something wrong, but I am afraid if I do this with the shy buff, she will be scared and not come to me. Should I just ignore the hard pecking for now, or is there something else I can do to curtail this?

 

[7L Farm]

If mine peck me I thump them back with my finger.

 

[TigerLilly]

That's why I don't feed mine out of my hand--scares me more than being bit by any of my snakes!

 

[galanie]

I have one or two that peck my hand pretty hard but it doesn't bother me at all. Some have actually started pecking more softly. Maybe she never ate out of a hand and doesn't know how hard to peck. I suspect that's what was going on with mine. Or maybe I'm nuts and that doesn't apply at all. But I do know my BO's no longer peck my hand hard like they did when they were younger.

 

[abejita]

I suspect that might be true for her as well. She is just in a hurry to get whatever is in my hand and get away from me. I will take the wait and see approach. I bet when she gets a bit more comfortable with me, she won't peck as hard because she won't be in such a hurry.

 

[stargirl]

One of mine used to be really rough like this, and peck at the creases on my palm like they were worms!

It was when she was a similar age, and she chilled out a lot after she started to lay (and stopped her growth spurt?). I found it helped to pile the treat quite deeply in my hand, so she could take it from the surface