10 wks old and still afraid of me

[pattee]

My babies are 10 weeks old today....

I don't know why I feel so sad that my chicks don't want any thing to do with me.

I give them treats out of my garden....

I held them every day and talked to them (had to they were in my bathroom) when they were babies.

I make mash and have them come to my hand.

I can never pick one up and the few times I did they squawked so loud, the others went hair wire....

I told my husband tonight (depressed as I was) I wanted to give these to a farm and get all new ones...

Now how ridiculous is that!

Can anyone help me get my chicks to like me and let me hold one out of the 6~

 

[DawnSuiter]

oh no pattee!

I'm sorry your feeling like your babies don't want to spend time with you! I know that your chicks appreciate you even if they don't know it yet! Some breeds aren't as friendly as others, and I'm sure they all have their own personalities.

I want to make a suggestion to you... instead of trying to pick them up, why not sit on the floor for a while each day, or the ground in their space and spend 15 or 30 minutes just calmly talking to them.

I think that in time, they will certainly get used to you and understand you as part of their flock on some level or at least start to use you as a jungle gym. I can't promise it or anything, but it usually works well with all other animals in my experience, to try not to mould them to my life but to try & mould myself to their own behavior. Chickens seem truly curious for the most part. Try becoming "one of the flock" so to speak and just "be" with your chickens.

Hang in there! Keep your chin up (or they'll peck you in the eye

)

 

[peeps7]

I'm sorry about your babies!! But, I have some tips that helped me.

I raise show breeds and usually I have 2 batches of chicks going, all of my chicks stay outside in an insulated coop or with their mama. Which means that I don't spend alot of time holding them and playing with them.

I've found out that if you put them in a coop where you can stand up and walk around they will come to you. Do what bodyflight said and sit with them instead of trying to pick them up. Some chickens never like to be picked up, no matter how much they love their people, lol.
Hope this helps!!

 

[Davaroo]

I feel what you are saying. I used to have a hen that was my good buddy, but aside from her, well... its just kinda like that with chickens. We put a lot into them and they dont seem to be aware of all we do. Ungrateful wretches, really.

If we're to be honest, I'm convinced they don't really need our company. The Chickens World is a Savage Place, and everything outside themselves is a potential threat. So they scatter at our oversized approach and keep their distance. 'Comes as part of being on the prey side of the balance board, I suppose.

Oh, they can get used to us, even seeming to welcome us, if it means food is in the offing and they have learned we aren't an immediate threat. That does take some calm, quiet time with them and depending on the breed, even that is in doubt.
I finally gave up on it as too much trouble. I mean, suppose I DID get them to like me; then what? Can I play cribbage with them or sing a duet? Nawww, the best I can hope for is they climb all over me and poop on my clothes.

For the most part they remain ever on the alert, aloof out of instinct. That's okay with me.

 

[dangerouschicken]

Mine only love my food giving abilities. You are not alone.

 

[Guitartists]

LOL I think maybe the key is playing hard to get

Mine don;t like me because I'm the one that has to catch them and put them in the coop if I have to close up early

But, some are friendlier than others for sure! My Roxie just stands by my feet and waits to be picked up... but she was also a spoiled house chicken before she went to the coop with the other chickens

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
That was my Hazel, the nicest chicken I ever had.
I'd pick her up, she'd chortle and then toddle off with the rest of the gang.
As for the Gang, they were happiest when they were over THERE - and I wasn't.

 

[lingbot]

My 3 chicks are the same way and I think I may stop trying to pick them up since they clearly don't like it and I think it increases their skittishness when I try to catch them for that purpose. I am hoping they will get calmer though once they start laying (they are around 12 weeks old right now) but I think I've gotten them to be as friendly as they can be. There is one friendlier chick who comes running first when I have a treat but the other 2 keep their distance. I am sad at times but it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one with this problem. I thought I did something wrong with their raising since I have a coworker who tells me all about his chickens who love to be picked up.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

I think it's good advice to just "be in their space" and let them come to you on their own terms.

I have 2 little ones that have been handled pretty much from day 1 ..but they don't care for being picked up, at all. They do like to come and hop up on me when I'm sitting on the floor with them, though.

The new Roo I got last week ..I just met him and he's about 4 months or so, already ...he will walk right up to me and crow until I pick him up. If I call his name, he'll stop and wait for me. He even gets a little huffy when I put him down off my lap or shoulder ...usually cuz he's getting ready to start bellowing out very loud crowing and I just can't take it when it's that close to my eardrums ..LOL

Give your chickens some time ..they could change their aloof ways ......and then you'll be covered in chickens!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i have never met a chicken who "wanted" to be picked up. But do have some silkies that will sit on my lap contentedly once i catch them. i don't want my big girls to sit on my lap, but they do when i try to sit outside and eat anything. A giant chicken beak in your face as you try to eat a sandwich is not necessarily a pleasant experience.

i've raised several litters since re-entering chicken ownership last year. i had some chicks who just did not like me. i rehomed most of those. i did keep one silkie, Angelica, who hated me. But with our recent move, everyone had to stay in a shed at night, then be carried out to daytime secure pens during the day, then back in at night. i did this for two months until i got their outside coop and pen predator proof.

i used this time to bond with each chicken, as i tried to train them to perch on my arm, as i carried them back and forth. Amazingly, Angelica became one of the better perchers, and almost seemed to enjoy riding back and forth on my arm. Now we are fast friends.

i'm not sure what my point is. But if your chicks are not warming up to you despite your efforts, don't feel bad about rehoming them and getting some new ones. Why deal with a gaggle of ingrates when you are obviously such a nice chicken mom?