4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Abbey Road Girl]

Even though I use a red & yellow treat ball and a blue & white treat bowl, my Pepperpots know very well the hand that feeds them!

 

I'm waiting for my son to be available when I let them free range for the first time (cannot see myself being able to cope with four on my own in the event of a revolt).

 

In the meantime, does anyone know how to discourage chooks from having a go? Most of the time, the pecking doesn't hurt (hamsters are something else!) but only startles.

[Stevie]

Mine try to peck me through the mesh when i go to open the run door and also if my hands are half in my pockets-ungrateful girls! They just assume that my hands mean its fodder time which it isnt.They're not trainable like dogs so i've quickly learnt to keep my digits out of their way!

[Phosphorus]

Two of mine peck at my gloves when I poo pick their run - I find it quite amusing but glad I have the gloves on

[Nic_78]

I've only had my chickens for a month (so I'm maybe not the best person to comment), but I'd mentioned my pecking issue in a previous thread and was assured that it does start to get better once they begin to learn what actually is and what isn't food. And sure enough, the hand pecking has now stopped!

 

Previously they'd peck at my hands, fingernails, jewellery, buttons, loose threads...in fact anything that happened to catch their eye. Now I'll put my hands out to them quite openly, they'll give them a good inspection then turn their noses (or beaks) up at me and walk off when they realise I've got nothing exciting for them...no pecking involved at all now.

 

They've also stopped trying to peck at my hands when I open their run door...they've decided that when they see me pulling at the door pin, the prospect of being let to run round the garden is far more exciting than anything I don't have in my hands

 

Sorry I can't offer any useful advice, but things certainly have improved with mine...so maybe you'll be as lucky too - they do seem to learn very quickly!

[Egluntyne]

Top tip....no flip flops and varnished toenails anywhere near the hens.

 

It's a mistake you only make the once, believe me!

[Cyber Chook]

I have the same thing. I'm sure one of mine has made a game of always managing to hit her target, my finger, when I'm opening the run door. She's very good at it.

 

Can I ask what the striped food bowls are about?

 

Also do you get treat balls from pet shops? Sorry to ask more questions, am very new

 

Caroline

Edited May 5, 2008 by Guest

[Nic_78]

Hehe, Egluntine - I can only just imagine! That made me laugh.

 

I'd let the hens into my kitchen the other week and stupidly walked back into the room [minus my slippers]. Yes, I hoppity skipped out of the room pretty damn quickly with the chickens hot at my toes! And that was even without nail polish. I'll certainly be remembering your top tip come the summer!! I'm not sure how I'll manage though, since I live permanently in flip flops and varnished toe nails in the warmer weather. Hmm.

 

Of course, I'm sure they'll learn in the same way they have done with my hands...but I'm not quite prepared to go through that learning curve when it comes to my feet. Ouchy!

[Sarah B]

I open the run door with the closing stick

[Abbey Road Girl]

One of mine seems to have made a game of always managing to hit her target, my finger, when I'm opening the run door. She's very good at it. If it doesn't improve with time, as it has for lucky Nic, I guess a (small) handful of treats chucked into the other end of the run might distract them for long enough?

 

Can I ask what the striped food bowls are about?

 

My girls get their treats from either the treat ball or from a blue and white bowl. The idea is to draw attention to those objects rather than to my hands and also to tempt them back into the run when they see me going there with the ball or bowl.[/color=darkred]

 

Also do you get treat balls from pet shops? Sorry to ask more questions, am very new If you can't ask questions here, where can you ask? It's how we all learn. The plastic ball (from Petcessories) was sold as a small animal (hamster, guinea pig, rabbit) activity ball. Because it's light, the chickens can pick it up and run with it. The rubber ones sold in Pets for Home would be too heavy for that.[/color=darkred]

 

Caroline[/quote=Cyber Chook]

 

Thanks everyone! Hope I'm as lucky as Nic with my hens. And thanks Egluntine for saving us all (well those of us inclined to nail varnish) from learning the hard way!

 

Sorry about the colour not working--must be the American spelling!