There is nothing more frightening than seeing your chickens chasing after you. Naturally, most people will run away as fast as they can. Chickens usually chase you for several reasons.
So, why do chickens chase you? Chickens will chase you for many reasons. However, there are three main reasons why they do. It’s usually due to you having food or thinking you have food, they like you, or they see you as a threat.
Reasons Why Your Chickens Is Chasing You
When a chicken chases you, especially a rooster, it can be frightening. Sometimes, the chickens are chasing for other reasons besides being aggressive.
Below are some of the reasons why your chickens might chase you:
1. Chickens Chasing You For Food
Chickens spend a lot of time during the day foraging for food. If they are not resting or sunbathing, they are always searching for food to eat.
If they see you walking with food, you can be sure that they will start to chase you.
Chickens are eating machines and will eat all day long if there’s food available. They have a fast metabolism which helps the food move throughout their digestive tract quickly. This is why chickens are always hungry.
To keep them from chasing you, avoid carrying any food with you, even if it’s meant just for you.
If the chickens are simply following you around for food, there’s really no concern for it. To get them to stop following you, toss some pellets or food onto the ground. This will keep them occupied.
2. Chickens Who Are Attached To Their Owners
Some chickens like to be around people. If you have one of those chickens, they may chase you every time they see you coming.
Each chicken has their own personality and some prefer human contact over other chickens. They may see a person coming and ditch the flock to be around them.
This isn’t an issue if it’s one or two chickens. However, when a whole flock comes running, it can be a problem.
This is part of their nature, and it’s something you’ll have to live with. They are not trying to hurt you, but more of trying to some you some affections.
One thing to remember when chickens are chasing you is to never run away. When you do that, they will run even faster after you.
The best thing to do is when chickens are chasing you is to stand still. Once they get to you, they’ll stop running.
3. Aggressive Chickens and Roosters Chasing You
Chickens can sometimes become very aggressive, especially roosters. They will chase you with the intention to peck and scratch you.
Some breeds are aggressive by nature, while others are not. For a hen, they are usually calm and will not want to chase you.
On the other hand, roosters will be more likely to chase you. Roosters are very territorial and protective of their flock. If they are provoked or see you as a threat, they will start to chase you around.
If you have an aggressive chicken on your hand, below are some helpful hints to help you:
Walk calmly around the bird. Chickens will usually give chase if they see you run. If you see them chasing you, just walk calmly, and they’ll stop chasing you.
Have a coat or large sack with you. When you have something that’s large, it will make you look bigger and scarier. This will result in the chicken stop chasing you or trying to peck at you.
Spend time with the chicken. By being around them more often, they will not see you as a threat. This will make them feel calm around you and won’t give chase.
Place the bird into solitary confinement. If you’ve exhausted all your options, the last thing to do is place them into a cage by themselves. This will help prevent further aggression and calm them down.
How Do You Calm a Chicken?
Chickens can sometimes become too aggressive that you’ll need to calm them down. Below are two methods that you can try to calm your chicken:
Oscillating Finger Method
- On a table, place the chicken on its side with its wing under its body. Hold the chicken firmly with one hand and make sure its head is flat on the table.
- With the other hand that’s free, move one of your fingers back and forth in front of the chicken’s beak. You can start from the tip of the beak and slowly move your finger to a point that’s about 4 inches away.
- Keep your finger in a parallel line to the beak. Repeat this motion several times until the bird is calm.
Sternum Stroke Method
On the table or a flat surface, place the bird gently on its back. To keep the bird from rolling to one side, use blocks of wood. Set them on each side of the chicken.
- Hold the chicken down with one hand firmly.
- With your other hand, massage the chicken’s sternum with your thumb and index finger. Massage with light pressure.
- Repeat the process until the bird is calm. Some chickens will be calm after a minute, while others will take longer. Just keep massaging them until they are calm.
Conclusion
Chickens will chase you for three main reasons. They do this because they think you have food, they are attached to you, or they are being aggressive. While two of the reasons are nothing to be afraid of, the aggressive reason can be very concerning. Fortunately, there are different ways in which to deal with aggressive birds.
