they go after my feet!!!!

[dr2202]

does anybody else have guys that go after your feet?
it started slowly, last spring, but at the time we were still wearing shoes, now if they are loose and out in the yard, everyone is afraid to be anywhere near them...
i was putting them back in their pen last night, they go in willingly (as long as they know you have food) and i had my backed turned as i was opening the gate and wham- (and its just one bird that does it) she pecked the top of my foot(broke skin and made a black and blue).
i still cant figure this out.. my daughter goes out there with snow boots on all the time to put them away at night.. i only have 2 birds by the way and only one does it... is it some sort of dominance thing??

 

[ging3rhoffman]

..i no longer wear flip flops to the hen house ! They love to peck at my freckles and anything on my flip flops.

 

[TaLani]

If I have my toenails painted then they're super attracted to my feet, but if I have a handful of feed in my hand and throw it on the ground a descent distance from me then their attention is usually averted away from my feet.

 

[Karrie13]

My girls love to go after my feet and it doesn’t matter if I have shoes or sandals on. My kids no longer go out there bare foot, they learned the hard way that those beaks HURT! Of course they like to go after fingers too if you stick them out there.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

You should wear croc's maybe instead of flip flops!
My sebbie geese like my feet but my chickens don't bother them.
Hope you heal up ok, that had to hurt!!!

 

[AmyBella]

I have noticed that one of my roos always pecks at the veins in my hands... they probably look like worms or something.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Ho no... I was both giggling at your post title and cringing for your sore feet! Are they both hens?
A Roo will be tough to break of something like this... the stronger your reaction, the more he will be into continuing, hens might be a bit different, I'm not sure. ( Mine are like velociraptors when the treats come out - a bit of a competition thing that started when they were a few days old.)
Perhaps you could carry around a tennis racket for a while - when she comes after your feet, you can shove her off with a yell or something that will startle her out of the behavior (not hurt her, just give her a shove and chase her around a bit) After a while it won't be worth whatever she seems to be after, and maybe it'll break the behavior. (It is what another hen would do to her in another flock to get her back in line)

Again, if it's a Roo doing this, all of this will only stimulate him more, so I wouldn't recommend it.

It's funny, with Falconry, the thinking is the other way around - it's more about encouraging the behavior you want with consistent reward than punishing the behaviors you don't want - then again, the minds of Birds of Prey are a LOT easier to figure out than the minds of hens...

I hope you are able to sort this out!

 

[dr2202]

they are both hens- i have started taking a broom out with me just so that one who goes after me all the time knows i have a weapon

my son says she is playing red light green light... if any of you know that kids game!!

its only when my backed is to them that she runs up to me and tries it.. they are ok when i am facing them....
i think i spoiled them!!!

 

[Wifezilla]

Now this is just another reason I have ducks. Bills are not sharp and pointy, so my toes are safe when they decide to check out my nail polish!

 

[oaklandathletic]

My hens love shiny things. They go after my ring on my finger and eyelets on my shoes. My toenails get nailed too. When they go after my feet I gently shoo them away. As long as I keep my feet moving they leave them alone....So I kinda do a little tap dance if I'm in bare feet ..I guess you could say a Chicken Dance..