Am I the only one whose chicks think I am a terrible monster? :(

[poultrylubber]

I know when I first got my hens they didn't like me at first and then I would get down to their level and just sit there and after awhile they would walk underneath me and come up and look right in my face. Even now they get flighty when I walk around but once I get down to their level they settle down.
I hope they get used to you soon I think its kind of sad when animals are that afraid of you.

 

[Volkova]

Hi there.

Don't be concerned about chicks being scared. Personally, from my hatches, I recommend you do the following:

1) Don't pick them up for now.
2) Sit with them or put your hand in their brooder. Be patient and they will soon come out to investigate. Chicks learn from each other, unlike humans who learn from parents, so once one braves it, the others follow.
3) Entice them with a treat. Give them something and they will believe that your hand/you is a good friend.
4) Talk to them. Say something gently and quietly over and over again, it will help them understand you.
5) Do you use a heat lamp? If so, swap it for a brooder from Brinsea. It acts as a hen which they can hide under, making them comfy, warm and feeling secure.
6) Consider the breed. If you have got docile chickens, they will no doubt warm to you eventually, even if you ignore them. If you have a more aggressive breed, be patient as it will take longer but is easily achievable to tame them with time.
7) Never make sudden movements or noises when your around. It will make the chicks believe you are a predator or an enemy.
8) Make sure you are alone with them to start, you would not want to be crowded by horses if you wanted to learn to ride one. Make that special connection with them first alone before showing others your chicks.
7) Once they have responded to you, and start playing, you can gently grab them and place them on your lap. It is better if they can still see the others to keep them secure and some feed will soon "sedate" them as they will most likely fall asleep in your hands.

Good luck. Keep trying, little and often is the key!

 

[suburbfarmer]

I can totally relate too!

Volkova makes some really good points. Well put!

When I first got my chicks, they were in a cardboard box that I cobbled together to make a brooder for them. Every time I would stick my hand in there, they would pile up in the corner like they thought I was attacking them.

I did some research, and read somewhere that if they can see out of at least one or two sides of the brooder, they will be less nervous because they can see the source of sounds in the room. I then built a brooder with window screen around 3 sides and a plywood board on the last side. This helped a TON! They almost immediately started warming up to me.

The other thing that has worked well for me so far is taking some of their chick starter feed and adding some water to it in my hand to make a moist chick starter treat. They go nuts for it and will eat it right out of my hand.

After I put them in the new brooder, I stopped trying to pick them up, and started hand feeding them treats so they learned to associate my hands with being fed. After a couple days of this, they would tolerate me picking them up.

I realize this is not a cure all by any means, but it worked great in my situation.