Araucana not comfortable with people.

[ChOOkens]

I have an araucana hen, her name is Sky. When I bought her the pet shop I didn't know how old she was but the people working there told us she should start laying in a few weeks.
After we bought her, it took her 4 days to lay an egg. That kind of gave me the idea that she wasn't as young as it appeared to be when we bought her.

Her comb size when she first layed her egg is the same size as it is now.
She is a very healthy hen. The only problem is even though she has been living with us for about 9 weeks she still doesn't come near us!

I am the person that mostly looks after (plays) with the chickens. I read about chickens, but books on them and know about them.
When we bought Sky I had to handle her once or twice to clip her wings. I have held her a few other times, but that was when we were getting her and her hen buddy(Toffee) inside because it was to hot for them. It was hard, I had to sneak up on her to get her(I don't like doing that). I visit them both everyday to let them out (about 5/7 days a week because we have dogs(living next door) that have come into our backyard before). Even though I have seen her every day since we bought her she still hesitates when I try to pick her up or pat her.

Sky does it some food off me, she is getting a little more comfortable but at this point I am not sure if she will ever be comfortable.

Should I be doing something? Have I done anything wrong? Should I wait?
Advice please?

(Edited to fix mistakes)

 

[Nicola]

Since she is only new to you it may take her a while to warm up to you... she may not have been handled much before.... the 2 arucanas that ive raised from chicks still arent as cuddly as their hatch mate which is a cochin bantam... i still have to chase all of them to pick them up but once i do they are fine...

chickens love treats... a little cheese sometimes not alot... lettuce.. corn (in winter) oats... wheat... etc

at first i had to hold my hand still to get them to eat from my hand but after a couple weeks they started to learn that when i came outside with food it was normaly for them.. they occasionaly try to steal my sandwich

But good luck hope that she warms up to you soon

 

[ChOOkens]

Quote:
Thank you for the advice! I occasionally give them treats. I have never really tried holding them and then waiting for her to come to me. I tried once with a tomato, she ripped a huge chunk off and then ran off to go and eat somewhere else.

I have had mine for about 9 weeks, isn't that long enough? Then again she was an adult when I bought her (she is about 40 weeks now.) Toffee is comfortable with me because we bought her at 17 weeks.
Lol at the sandwich part.
So do you still have to chase yours to hold them? Mine is SUPER fast.

 

[jeremy]

I don't know if it would work as well on a hen, but with my Cuckoo Marans roo who was extremely skittish, I would pick him up and lug him around with me everywhere I went while I was outside. For at least 10-15 minutes at a time.

At first he would squirm and make all sorts of irritated noises, but after a couple of weeks he got better. Now he'll come running to get treats and stays near me. He's never charged or tried to assert his dominance after his "obedience" training.

Maybe she just needs some comforting to know you're a friend.

(Also- cheese does work well for luring them in!)

 

[Nicola]

Quote:
Thank you for the advice! I occasionally give them treats. I have never really tried holding them and then waiting for her to come to me. I tried once with a tomato, she ripped a huge chunk off and then ran off to go and eat somewhere else.

I have had mine for about 9 weeks, isn't that long enough? Then again she was an adult when I bought her (she is about 40 weeks now.) Toffee is comfortable with me because we bought her at 17 weeks.
Lol at the sandwich part.
So do you still have to chase yours to hold them? Mine is SUPER fast.

Yea i do have to chase them to catch them lol... i've run into things many times trying to catch them lol. my mum just laughs at me when that happens

mine are problay around the same age as yours... and laying nice green eggs

and yea they do take a peice... run off eat it and come back for more... especialy when one of the others tries to take the food off them.. its quite funny to watch

the sandwich theifs

 

[ChOOkens]

Quote:
She does need to know I am a friend. Not a threat.
That sounds good! I'll have to sneak up on her to catch her, she's to fast!
Whenever I held her it was only for 2 minutes or so and it was never really for cuddling, i'll try that method over the next few days.
Cheese? Sounds good, we have some "leftover" cheese. (Don't worry, it's still good. I would eat it!)

Thanks for the advice!

 

[ChOOkens]

Quote:
Thank you for the advice! I occasionally give them treats. I have never really tried holding them and then waiting for her to come to me. I tried once with a tomato, she ripped a huge chunk off and then ran off to go and eat somewhere else.

I have had mine for about 9 weeks, isn't that long enough? Then again she was an adult when I bought her (she is about 40 weeks now.) Toffee is comfortable with me because we bought her at 17 weeks.
Lol at the sandwich part.
So do you still have to chase yours to hold them? Mine is SUPER fast.

Yea i do have to chase them to catch them lol... i've run into things many times trying to catch them lol. my mum just laughs at me when that happens

mine are problay around the same age as yours... and laying nice green eggs

and yea they do take a peice... run off eat it and come back for more... especialy when one of the others tries to take the food off them.. its quite funny to watch

the sandwich theifs http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt331/crazychook/chickens/DSCF1556.jpg

Haha, I enjoyed reading that. Sounds like you have fun with your girls!
I love it when chickens do that spinny thing where one has a treat in their mouth and another is trying to steal it off them. xD
I'm not use to Sky's behaviour because since Toffee is actually 1 year and a few weeks old, I have had her for longer and she has always been comfortable with me and the cuddling and stroking.

 

[Nicola]

Quote:
Yea i do have to chase them to catch them lol... i've run into things many times trying to catch them lol. my mum just laughs at me when that happens

mine are problay around the same age as yours... and laying nice green eggs

and yea they do take a peice... run off eat it and come back for more... especialy when one of the others tries to take the food off them.. its quite funny to watch

the sandwich theifs http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt331/crazychook/chickens/DSCF1556.jpg

Haha, I enjoyed reading that. Sounds like you have fun with your girls!
I love it when chickens do that spinny thing where one has a treat in their mouth and another is trying to steal it off them. xD
I'm not use to Sky's behaviour because since Toffee is actually 1 year and a few weeks old, I have had her for longer and she has always been comfortable with me and the cuddling and stroking.

Yea i think it may also be a breed trait becase all 3 of my girls have been hand raised and the 2 aracunas are less cuddly.. and i had 3 ISA's b4 them they are at my aunties now.. and they still are cuddly they run up to my auntie and she can carry them around. and i can hold my cochin like a baby on her back its cute

But hopefully sky becomes more cuddly towards you

and cheese and corn are real good treats to lure them with but corn raises their body temp a bit so its better in winter

 

[ChOOkens]

Quote:
Haha, I enjoyed reading that. Sounds like you have fun with your girls!
I love it when chickens do that spinny thing where one has a treat in their mouth and another is trying to steal it off them. xD
I'm not use to Sky's behaviour because since Toffee is actually 1 year and a few weeks old, I have had her for longer and she has always been comfortable with me and the cuddling and stroking.

Yea i think it may also be a breed trait becase all 3 of my girls have been hand raised and the 2 aracunas are less cuddly.. and i had 3 ISA's b4 them they are at my aunties now.. and they still are cuddly they run up to my auntie and she can carry them around. and i can hold my cochin like a baby on her back its cute

But hopefully sky becomes more cuddly towards you

and cheese and corn are real good treats to lure them with but corn raises their body temp a bit so its better in winter

You're right, it is probably a trait with the breed. Oh well. I'm going to find it hard to keep rounding her into her coop. O_O
ISA browns are so friendly. I love cuddling mine.
That sound's cute! I want a cochin now. xD
Thank you for all the advice you have given me!

 

[Nicola]

Quote:
Yea i think it may also be a breed trait becase all 3 of my girls have been hand raised and the 2 aracunas are less cuddly.. and i had 3 ISA's b4 them they are at my aunties now.. and they still are cuddly they run up to my auntie and she can carry them around. and i can hold my cochin like a baby on her back its cute

But hopefully sky becomes more cuddly towards you

and cheese and corn are real good treats to lure them with but corn raises their body temp a bit so its better in winter

You're right, it is probably a trait with the breed. Oh well. I'm going to find it hard to keep rounding her into her coop. O_O
ISA browns are so friendly. I love cuddling mine.
That sound's cute! I want a cochin now. xD
Thank you for all the advice you have given me!

No problem glad to help

lol im glad mine put themselfs to bed lol

the cochin i can hold like a baby haha