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

[PeckyBeak]

Hi everyone, really enjoying the Forum. We have had our lovely 6 chickens for 10 days, not yet Free Range due to adverse weather here. They are in a Cube with an extended Cube run. They are eating well and are very happy. The problem is that everytime I go to put food in, they rush to the door and whille I am trying to unfasten it they are pecking my fingers really hard. When I try to feed them treats from the palm of my hand, they make me drop the food as they all compete with each other and start pecking my hand and fingers. If I try to stroke one of them. the others seem sure that I have food in my hand and won't stop pecking.

I am not a wimp but it is really quite painful. (Lavender drew blood the other day)

I wonder if they will be better when I can let them free range, will they be more relaxed and hopefully come to me more gently for their treats?

Not sure if a more open run would have made any differance. as one problem I feel with the Cube is that you can't be in amongst them.

I see lovely pictures on the Forum of Chooks being fed and stroked by children but my lot are more like pirahnas.

It isn't that they are hungry as they eats lots and there is always mash there in the run.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

Beak House

[Plum]

Beak House cool. and aptly named.

Yes they peck if you feed them treats. Why not try going to them without treats and wear gloves for a bit. If you do the door conversion - see threads at the top you can get in with them. I did that until they could come out and I sat in on a stool. They got used to me and it was easier to stroke and 'tame' them.

Giving them treats is fun but it does make them behave badly so I let the old man do it now and they are lovely with me but over the top with him .

[fluffyknickers]

Its not funny as you are getting hurt but I smiled reading your post as its my fear as I visited a cube owner and fed some corn from my hand and yelped and they laughed as said it doesnt hurt (thanks Kay - quickcluck!) but I must be a wimp!

 

Anyhow for when my girls arrive I have bought some leather gardening gloves and will wear those!!!

[Purplemaniacs]

I always feed treats in a dish, I did not want them to peck my granddaughter thinking that she had treats for them.

 

Chrissie

[Hen Watch]

When my chooks first arrived they had sharp little beaks - but not now.

 

Also when mine were new, like yours, they pecked everything to see if it is food (a bit like babies sucking everything to explore it). Mine would peck my fingers every time I went to open the run. Within a month they had worked it out and stopped attacking my fingers. Now they only peck when I actually do have food in my hand. But now 2 chooks have chipped almost rounded beaks and even if all 4 decend on my hand at once it doesn't hurt at all.

 

But whilst you are waiting for them to cotton on and grow up, put treats in a heavy bowl. My lot recognise their treat bowl and come running every time (it's good for rounding them up and getting them back into their run).

 

Good luck.

[blackgold]

My chooks pecked hard at first but now they are quite gentle. They to recognise their treat dish and come a running. They have really good eyesight and will take small pieces from my fingers without hurting me. They used to try and take my nailvarnish off but not anymore. love Sue xx

[Cyber Chook]

I had the same problem, and like you, find it absolute agony when they peck. I never feed them by hand, and don't know how others do it

 

But what I did was distract them by chucking a few grains of corn to one side while I opened the little door. After a while, they did stop pecking my fingers when I opened the door, but mainly I think because to avoid pain I got a lot faster at it.

[cordelia]

...my chickens used to peck me if I went near, or they came near me....anda they terrified the girls...

 

now they are laying (well two are) they are much nicer.....

 

I ahvent tried to hand feed them though, as the dog gets jealous and runs at us all....causing much flapping of wings !!!

 

Our non-layer (so far) has never pecked us...it was just the other two....but they are fine now

 

 

best of luck