What to do if a chicken pecks your eyes
A chicken pecking the eyes can leave serious injuries to different parts of the eyes, which is very common in children. Chickens are capable of causing damage to the eyes with their beak and claws.
So the elderly should always have it at the back of their mind and keep their infants away from playing around chickens, as they are mostly the victim of ocular injuries whenever it happens. Better still, make sure your chickens are far away from where your children are located.
If your eyes get pecked by a chicken, if the peck did not cause much damage, you can use appropriate eye drops recommended by the doctor with antibiotics, and it should heal within days. On the other hand, if the injury is serious, pay a visit to the doctor, as it may require a surgical process.
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Why do chickens peck eyes?
It is not common for a chicken to peck human eyes, but there have definitely been cases where it happened, although most times, children are the victims. So why do chickens peck eyes? Chickens naturally find the eyes attractive, which might be due to the acute contrast to the face.
Another reason chickens peck the eyes is that chickens have the instinct to bite at things that are attractive and shiny, things that are moving. If they have not seen an item, they will peck it to satisfy their curiosity; they also peck if something irritates them or to check if something is eatable.
Their beaks are the way they relate to the world and try to confirm things, so it’s not a surprise that the eye can get pecked when they come in close to it. So as said earlier, chickens peck human eyes because they look shiny and make use of their beaks to explore since they have no hands as humans do.
Can chicken pecks get infected?
Yes, chicken pecks that cause a particular wound or scratch can get infected if not properly treated. There are several signs of an infected chicken peck wound, such as redness and swelling in the pecked area of the skin. Germs can spread across scratch, damage even when we don’t think much of it.
If the skin is not broken, there is no possibility of the peck causing an infection, but there might be issues if the skin has been broken, which may lead to getting an infection.
Does chicken pecking hurt?
Yes, it is normal for a peck from a chicken to hurt. Chickens habitually peck at almost everything they find attractive or strange with their beaks; it is natural. But you must be careful as this can become aggressive and cause injuries.
When this act is also not curbed, chickens can start pecking themselves. This may be due to stress, but it is harmful to other chickens in the poultry when a chicken develops the habit of pecking as a result of stress.
If you ever get pecked by a chicken, you can apply honey to the affected area; it has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. You can also add Lemon essential oil, as it is a very effective natural antiseptic for treating humans and chickens.
What to spray on chickens to stop pecking you
There are ways to stop chickens from pecking you. Here, we will give you the two most effective sprays you can use to stop chickens from pecking you.
- Nettex Anti-feather Pecking Spray
The first on our list is Nettex Anti-Feather Pecking Spray. You can use the pecking spray in two ways; you can use it to disinfect wounds that are not serious and also to stop chickens from pecking one another in the poultry.
It is effective because it is distasteful and has a strong smell that prevents chickens from pecking themselves or engaging in cannibalism.
The Nettex Anti-feather pecking spray possesses antibacterial properties that aid in cleaning up wounds and scratches and enhance the rate of recovery. Ensure you use this spray minimum of once in seven days because it can lose its potency.
- Blu-Kote
This is another effective and widely accepted feather spray that contains both antibacterial and antifungal properties and, at the same time, can prevent your chickens from pecking inappropriately.
The Blu-Kote spray prevents the wounds on your chicken from getting infected. It also has a purple color that looks unattractive to chickens and keeps them away from pecking themselves.
How do you make anti-peck spray?
The good news is that instead of getting a readymade anti-peck spray, you can always make one from the comfort of your home as long as you have the required ingredients.
The first step you need to take is to gather the ingredients. You will need blue food coloring, lemon essential oil, and honey to make the spray. You can follow these steps once you’re ready:
- First, gather the ingredients and mix them all. Add drops of lemon essential oil, honey, and blue food coloring.
- After you have mixed the three ingredients, you can start applying the mixture to your chickens. Ensure that you add variety to the wounded skin of the chicken.
Once this is applied, the blue food coloring ensures that the blood on the wounded chickens’ injury does not attract the pecking chickens. This is a very effective way to prevent bullying among your chickens.
How to treat pecked chicken eyes
If the injury sustained on the eyes of your chicken is not serious, You can make use of Oftalmowell eye drops in her eye twice daily, both in the morning and at night.
Another option is using the Vetericyn eye gel with some antibiotics to prevent infections while using a standard bottle of saline solution for cleaning.
But if the injury sustained on your chickens’ eyes is serious, the best option is to visit the nearest veterinarian as soon as possible to avoid further complications.
