Sethanie says Hi!

Hi all! I'm new to chicken keeping, though we did have a flock when I was a child and my parents had the farm. Now I have kids and my husband got 9 ameraucanas earlier this year.

If I'm close in my age estimates, we might see eggs in August. So far it looks like we've got 3 hens and there is another auction this weekend so maybe we can unload an extra male or 5.

I've got a 10' x 10' covered pen for them and a coop that is still in progress, but they do have roosts way up off the ground that they like. When we move the whole thing to the other side of the yard this weekend, I'm going to talk my husband into lifting it over the waist high stump to give them something to peck at and play king of the mountain with.

They're still pretty wary of me even though I go in to feed and water them daily, so I'm hoping that age and thinning out the males might calm them down. I try treats every once in a while but it's like they don't know what to do with canned green beans, plain yogurt, grapes, lettuce, or even live meal worms!

Welcome! Have you had them since they were babies?

Welcome to BYC! Glad you could join us!

When we got them I looked online and found pics week by week of americauna chicks. I figured they were around 5 weeks old.



We kept them in a large dog crate until they were bigger and ready for the last of winter. And until we had finished the coop/run.



We call them the chickas because that is what my 2 year old son calls all birds.



Above is the rooster I would like to keep as long as he doesn't disturb the neighbors. That is a pic taken yesterday.

I give my chicks lots of treats when I go to them....they LOVE raisins. I usually end up spending tons of time with my chickens too. I think that if you give them treats by hand and talk softly every time you go in to see them. They'll adore you if you do stuff like that.

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Yes, hand feeding is a great way to tame them. Moving slowly and talking gently to them is also good. Once they are more familiar with you, you can hold and cuddle them.

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X4, just spending a lot of quiet time with them will help, pullets often become a lot tamer when they mature/ start laying eggs. With treats, chickens often don't really know what to make of or are suspicious of different treats when they first are introduced to them, so just keep offering them / just leave them in the run and they will figure out they are good to eat and eventually they will become enthusiastic about them.

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Yes, it takes them time to learn to trust you. Go sit with them and bring some goodies along. Sit with them often and move slowly around them. They should come around eventually. As for treats, it takes time for them to eat many foods. But eventually they will want to eat everything. Even your shoes will look good. LOL Chickens eat everything.

Enjoy your new flock and welcome to ours!