Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[splodge88]

We got out chickens a couple of days ago. We fed them some treats (grapes/raisons) by hand. We think they have already come to expect food from our hands now and one bit my sisters finger. Should we carry on feeding them trates by hand or stop?

[Egluntyne]

Welcome aboard.

 

Ouch! It hurts. I stopped for that very reason.

[helenmb]

If I want to feed mine by hand then I wear a very thin pair of gardening gloves as you are quite right it really hurts and they can draw blood. The gloves I use are from here:-

 

Great gardening gloves

 

I use a peg to hold them onto my run (I have a purpose built one and no longer use my Eglu run) so there are always there if I need them. I just keep them for chicken tasks and they can be popped into the washing machine too.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I feed my corn from my hand and it doesn't hurt . It's a bit pecky but not painful. I've had kids do it too without any problem.

 

Perhaps I have gentle chickens?

[err_rachael]

Yup I've found that they can give a sharp nip. Ow

[Lisa]

I used to feed by hand but now they are in such a hurry to get as much as possible they can be a bit pecky so I have started using a little dish. They know the corn is coming and fly/jump up onto my lap or the chair to feed all together.

[Egg Lou]

I feed all mine by hand, two can get a bit sharp but otherise its fine

[mostin]

I feed all mine by hand, Greedy guts sometimes gets a bit rough but the rest are all fine. In fact my OH held my 3 year old goddaughters hand full of food out to them on Sunday.

 

He's just read this thread and now he's worried he was cruel to her but she didn't complain

[bokbokbok]

Only one of ours is gentle enough to feed by hand - the rest have a small cup to eat out of.

 

I think helenmb's idea of gloves is excellent and I will find some for myself as feeding them like that is a nice thing if you aren't squealing with pain!

[Janty]

I can feed some of mine by hand but the others are too rough. The brahmas really hurt when they peck.

[helenmb]

Loving your photos Bokbokbok

[moomin]

I feed my two girls their treats by hand, I hold raisins or mealworms etc, between my forefinger and thumb and they peck them out, they even take it in turns, I feed one chook and then she stands back (kind of!) and then the other one takes a treat.

 

Maybe my chooks are just weird! Sometimes the greed takes over though - and they loose control and just peck my hands to bits!!

[RubyReckless]

I've fed all 8 chooks by hand and have never found it more than a poke. I am really surprised to learn that others have a hard time with it. maybe we've just been lucky?

[littlegem]

I have been feeding mine by hand to try and get them friendly but only my Gingernut Ranger Wilma will take food from my hand. We have nicknamed her the mugger as she tries to pull the rings off my fingers and pull my bracelet off can't say she has really hurt me though...........yet. I wish my Miss Pepperpot would feed from my hand too but it's early days yet.

[Ardene5]

Hi,

Some of our hens will come and feed for our hands.

The 2 bluebells which we got from the chicken site of Omlet are

so gentle, they will stand on our shoulders like a parrots or sit in our

laps to preen or eat from our hands and listens to us talking.

We have 9 hens of which 3 are ex battery, 2 of these are retired

from egg laying but we get 7 eggs a day. We do not mind 2 retired hens

as they are now having a lovely life with the other hens either free ranging

in the garden or in the very large run when the weather is bad.

What more could a hen wish for, nice food and treats, lovely omlet housing

and great owner to look after them.

All Omlet owner are the same great animal lovers.

 

Best regards

 

Ian & Valerie

William & Harry

Missy & Millie dogs

9 lovely hens

Henian Castle with + inside

[Valkyrie]

It wouldn't be the first time Piggy Sioux has had most of my little finger down her throat - "no that's not a big mealworm - it's me you daft bird!" It's not too bad, but they can peck hard - bit sado/massochist thing going here! I find I can control them a little easier with bare fingers so I can stroke them longer.

[Barkisland]

My chooks are very new and still a bit nervy, although definitely getting bolder. Just had them a week. Gilda took some corn from my hand for the first time today, and was very gentle Molly looked on, and thought about it, but didn't take the plunge - will try again tomorrow.

[dancing cloud]

Piggy Sioux .

love it!

 

My little monsters get their corn fed by hand and won't pick any up off the patio until hands are gone The only time my fingers are at risk is with grapes, when I'm trying to share them out equally between begging beaks and there's occasional grabbing, but we are getting better with that .

[stoice]

My mum and I were moving some slabs and adding new ones to create a winter play area for my girls. (So there were no gaps between them this time - or else all the soil gets rooted out!) Any earthworms we found were sacrificed to the girls. Good job we were wearing thick gloves because they got 'earthworm rage' and couldn't control themselves. Several times they'd grab at our fingers and play tug of war with the glove until they realised one of the other girls had already claimed the worm. Grapes are another 'chuck in and stand well back' treat but i can just about manage a small handful of mixed corn without gloves (Especially as my 2 poor ex-batts have stubby rounded beaks from their battery days) doesn't stop the 'pinch' of a misdirected peck though. ouch

[quentinho]

Hi

carry on thats my advice if you still get pecked stop doing it

odd though mine have had no problems they have been feeding from hands sice thier first day! (friday last week)

 

Cura

Gwen

Penelope

 

ginger

BLACK pepper

[Emma Tarpey]

It hurst at first but you soon get used to it, it keeps them that little bit more tame