Pecked In The Eye

[dinosaw]

I have to say that this is fortunately a first for me, I've been pecked pretty much everywhere possible by chickens and chicks over the past few years but the one place that has been a no no has been my eyes, on occasion they have had a think about it but it has always seemed to me that they have known what an eye is and that it is verboten to have a go at it, until today. I was bent down with my Thuringian growers digging up some soil for them when one of them looked up at me before jumping up at my face and pecking me right in the eye, I have been very lucky (I hope) that my eyelid has done its job and closed quickly enough to protect my eyeball as if it hadn't I would have been in trouble given that the offending chicken has managed to break the skin on my eyelid and leave a nasty mark, eye is a bit sore but vision seems ok so hopefully I have dodged a bullet this time.

 

[rick]

Phew! Lucky escape closing your eye. My lot sometimes give me that head on look when picking them up and, like you, I assumed that it was worrying but they wouldn't but it seems like they might! Aerial has pecked me in the teeth (chicken kiss - yuk!)

 

[chrismahon]

In this respect I am fortunate to wear glasses Dinosaw. We did have a Marans chick years ago that we returned to the breeder because it wandered around pecking at other chicks eyes. Were it not for the return agreement we would certainly have pts, simply for the protection of the other chicks. Guess you need to keep a watch on it to see if it is pecking at the others eyes.

 

[Marigold]

Ungrateful little bugger! No more worms for him! I presume it's a him?
I hope your eye is better soon, Dinosaw.

 

[dinosaw]

Here is a photo of my eye today (makes me look ancient!) I do wonder if that was your eyeball what damage your sight would suffer, anyway everything seems fine, if anything my left eye is hurting me more but that is goggling at the screen too much.

Ungrateful little bugger! No more worms for him! I presume it's a him?

Well Marigold, given I have three cockerels and four pullets there were always going to be two boys who were surplus and it is fair to say he has sealed his fate in this regard, will at least make me feel that bit less guilty on this occasion.

 

[rick]

Looks bruised dinosaw - that was quite a hit.
To act as lawyer for the defence - I doubt that he consciously thought about eyes and the consequences. He probably just saw an interesting twinkle and went for it. But being bold enough to make that mistake (no doubt about it, if a chicken pecks you in the eyeball it's hospital at least) then I guess it all comes to the same thing.

 

[chrismahon]

That was a very close call Dinosaw. Detached retina is one possible outcome needing laser surgery to re-attach. I knew someone who poked himself in the eye on a twig in a hedgerow and had that treatment and I suppose that would be the same kind of impact as a peck.

 

[dinosaw]

Yes I thought it was a close call too. I don't think for a moment there was any malice intended, just curiosity, it was partly my fault as I thought he was looking to jump up onto my shoulder which they sometimes do, a bit complacent I suppose. Really it has just concentrated my mind as I have become softer and softer around dispatching cockerels as the years have gone on, if I was following my own advice I would have dispatched last week when their sex was beyond doubt, anyway it is done now, along with a Sussex boy from the LF pen. I think you can sometimes run the risk of letting sentimentality get in they way of the good of the flock, with the bantams there was actually plenty of space but with the LF birds I am close to pushing it, what you think of as chicks soon morph into good sized birds which need more space than you thought, the Sussex boy for instance was already 1.2kg at 7 weeks old, I am in the process of creating a space for the remaining LF boys of which we hope to keep 1 Orloff plus another out of a definite 3/possible 5.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Poor you, looks painful to say the least.
I second Marigold's sentiments.
I certainly take risks when putting the bantams up for the night, one of the two perches is eye level, and only abut 2" from my face. I am always aware of it, and half close my eyes, always have, when shutting the hatch for the night.
I'm envious of your eyelashes!!!!

 

[Marigold]

I'm envious of your eyelashes!!!!

You should see him when he's all dolled up for a night out, with his mascara on!

 

[dinosaw]

I'm envious of your eyelashes!!!!

You should see him when he's all dolled up for a night out, with his mascara on!

Well thank you ladies, and now I don't need eyeshadow anymore, just get a chicken to jab me in the eye and I'm good to go.