12 week old terrified still

[GhostGirlShannon]

View attachment 1479684 Hi guys, it's been a few weeks since I brought home Edison and Mayo. They get along with the chickens no problem and now they seem to know who I am when I come into the enclosed run. Problem is, they still won't greet me, come to feed on treats near me and especially be held. They scream and thrash when I pick them up. I try once a day to hold them gently and speak softly to them but in two weeks I've made no progress on that. They do LOVE to pee and poop on me in return. Will they ever let up? I'm trying to hard to love them as pets but I'm getting discouraged because I didn't have them as chicks.

 

[Noellereagan]

View attachment 1479684 Hi guys, it's been a few weeks since I brought home Edison and Mayo. They get along with the chickens no problem and now they seem to know who I am when I come into the enclosed run. Problem is, they still won't greet me, come to feed on treats near me and especially be held. They scream and thrash when I pick them up. I try once a day to hold them gently and speak softly to them but in two weeks I've made no progress on that. They do LOVE to pee and poop on me in return. Will they ever let up? I'm trying to hard to love them as pets but I'm getting discouraged because I didn't have them as chicks.

What a drag. Have you spent a lot of time in there? Just sitting quietly? This is about to sound but job but really- try mocking their noises when they are content after you’ve been in there a long time and they’re calm and happy. Like if you lay a treat on the ground and they find it- that noise. Or how they interact with each other. If mine are being skiddish I mock the coos and whistles and clucks and they look at me head tipped and cannot help but walk over. ORRRR ho in real late at night when they’re sleeping. Let them get used to you in there and slowly work up to their chest for a few quick pets and then the back if you can. Then let up and quit. So they figure out you’re not a threat. And play music during the day? I always do and feel like it gets them accustomed to the human sounds. My flock of poults seem to enjoy the music. When I turn it on they get into it and sing along in Turkey lingo and run back and forth for a while and seem real happy. But I’ve had them from the moment they hatched so I don’t know. They love me and only me. Not friendly with others so much.

 

[GhostGirlShannon]

What a drag. Have you spent a lot of time in there? Just sitting quietly? This is about to sound but job but really- try mocking their noises when they are content after you’ve been in there a long time and they’re calm and happy. Like if you lay a treat on the ground and they find it- that noise. Or how they interact with each other. If mine are being skiddish I mock the coos and whistles and clucks and they look at me head tipped and cannot help but walk over. ORRRR ho in real late at night when they’re sleeping. Let them get used to you in there and slowly work up to their chest for a few quick pets and then the back if you can. Then let up and quit. So they figure out you’re not a threat. And play music during the day? I always do and feel like it gets them accustomed to the human sounds. My flock of poults seem to enjoy the music. When I turn it on they get into it and sing along in Turkey lingo and run back and forth for a while and seem real happy. But I’ve had them from the moment they hatched so I don’t know. They love me and only me. Not friendly with others so much.

we will try music actually that's pretty easy because they're right next to the barn where there's music in there. I will try to mock them a little bit more often, if I marked one of them the other day the neighbors would have called the police on me because the turkey was screaming lol. I'll just give it more time, my husband is also getting discouraged because it takes us so long to get them to go into their little turkey house at night.

 

[Noellereagan]

we will try music actually that's pretty easy because they're right next to the barn where there's music in there. I will try to mock them a little bit more often, if I marked one of them the other day the neighbors would have called the police on me because the turkey was screaming lol. I'll just give it more time, my husband is also getting discouraged because it takes us so long to get them to go into their little turkey house at night.

With my friendly ones we have the same chase. It’s a bitch!

 

[GhostGirlShannon]

With my friendly ones we have the same chase. It’s a bitch!

Oh no. It never gets better? what are we going to do in the winter when there's snow?

 

[llombardo]

My 12 week girls are just now realizing that I come with treats. Are you sure they are not coming because the bigger ones will chase them away?

 

[GhostGirlShannon]

Ours are 12 weeks old too. the chickens don't chase them as much as you might think and they are the bigger bird in the coop right now. They are definitely more skittish but but theyre getting their sea legs

 

[Noellereagan]

Oh no. It never gets better? what are we going to do in the winter when there's snow?

I’m not sure what the trick is but with their internal clock they know when you’re going to lock them up or just coming to visit a while. When it’s bedtime they bolt. I believe they just like being out. I’m not sure what the trick to getting them to go to bed peacefully is but If anyone has ideas I’m all ears.
I think I’ll actually start a thread about this.

 

[Abriana]

Holding the birds is an important part the socializing, but sitting quietly with them is going to help a LOT! Plus the more you watch them, the faster you will be able to recognize illness.

 

[llombardo]

Mine freak out when it starts getting dark. The run along the coop, then run to me when I open the gate. I can see they are completely freaked out because it's dark and they are outside.