Becoming "friends" with my 5 girls? How to be able to handle my girls?

[chrisbohman]

Hi, I am new to the site, as well as being new to raising chickens. I have had my 5 girls since Early April of this year. A Sapphire Gem (Lynn), an Americauna (Henrietta), an Easter Egger (Princess), and two Lavender Orpingtons (Fredi & Ricky).
While I did not handle all of them on a daily basis from "day one", I have handled all the birds, but they have yet to really warm up to me.

I have been interacting with the girls every day:
1 Letting them out of their coop, 2 bringing them food, water and treats, 3 talking and interacting with them, 4 cleaning their coop, 5 and securing them in the coop on a nightly basis.
** Their first coop had no roosts, so frequently at least 4 of them would sit atop the roof peak of the coop. For a short time, the only way I was initially able to 'put them to bed' was to pick them up off the roof and set them into the coop. After about the beginning of June, when I would come out to 'put them to bed' they may allow me to pet them, but would all hop down off the roof and after a couple of times being followed around the coop, would eventually enter the coop on their own.

To date 8/27, while all 5 of them follow me around to see what I am going to do, none of them are comfortable with coming up to me and allowing me to pick them up. Lynn some of the time will allow me to pet her, and rarely will allow me to hold her. Henrietta and Princess on rare occasions will allow me to pet them, and 'may' if I am lucky allow me to pick them up. Neither Fredi or Ricky allow me to touch them, and only Ricky will come over and take food from my hand. Fredi, who is definitely the lowest bird on the pecking order is scared to take food from me, or even to go up to the trays of treats if any of the other birds are within 10 feet.

I recently got a book "How too speak chicken" so I am trying to coo, cluck, and speak back to them in sounds that they should understand such as "greetings" as well as "good night". But so far no changes.
Is there any trick to being able to handle the girls? As I know that there are things that I will need to do to check on the health of the birds, by holding and physically examining them.

Thanks - Chris

 

[swamphiker]

Hi Chris,

It sounds like you are on the right track! It can take awhile for skittish chickens to warm up. Continue to be persistent and provide high-value snacks to tempt them in.

 

[FrostRanger]

It sounds like your birds already love you! Chickens will follow their favorite people around. Not all birds are fond of being pet and fewer still like being held. Just continue to care for and hang out with your ladies! Regardless of whether they let you hold them or not (depends on the chicken) know that your birds do love you even if they aren't necessarily cuddly

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Cuddly chickens that like to be held are the exception not the rule. Chickens are naturally at the bottom of the food chain and having a larger being wrap their arms around them puts all of their natural instincts to run into over drive. Occasionally you might end up with one that genuinely doesn’t mind being held and even likes it, but that’s not how most chickens feel which is perfectly okay. If you need to handle them for health reasons wait until they are roosting at night. Even the most flighty chickens will usually be calm enough to get a handle on once it’s dark and they started to sleep. I have had lots and lots of chickens with only a couple that seemed to like to be held. Most of mine will follow me or run up to me when I’m outside. I don’t try to tame and I don’t hold them unless I really need to. That’s when I go in at night and examine or treat them.

 

[chrisbohman]

Hi Chris,

It sounds like you are on the right track! It can take awhile for skittish chickens to warm up. Continue to be persistent and provide high-value snacks to tempt them in.

Thanks swamphiker,
I will, and I am going to try tomorrow (Thurs 8/29) to pick up the low bird on the pecking order (Lavender Orpington - Fredi), if she is the last one out of the coop.

 

[chrisbohman]

It sounds like your birds already love you! Chickens will follow their favorite people around. Not all birds are fond of being pet and fewer still like being held. Just continue to care for and hang out with your ladies! Regardless of whether they let you hold them or not (depends on the chicken) know that your birds do love you even if they aren't necessarily cuddly

Thanks FrostRanger,
I guess I just need to continue to be persistent and consistent with the girls. My hope is that as they become more familiar with me, they will trust me more. <fingers crossed >

 

[chrisbohman]

Cuddly chickens that like to be held are the exception not the rule. Chickens are naturally at the bottom of the food chain and having a larger being wrap their arms around them puts all of their natural instincts to run into over drive. Occasionally you might end up with one that genuinely doesn’t mind being held and even likes it, but that’s not how most chickens feel which is perfectly okay. If you need to handle them for health reasons wait until they are roosting at night. Even the most flighty chickens will usually be calm enough to get a handle on once it’s dark and they started to sleep. I have had lots and lots of chickens with only a couple that seemed to like to be held. Most of mine will follow me or run up to me when I’m outside. I don’t try to tame and I don’t hold them unless I really need to. That’s when I go in at night and examine or treat them.

Thanks HollowOfWisps,
Great idea of handling them when they are in the roosting. So I guess "sneaking up on them when their defenses are down" is the easiest way to handle them. Makes sense at night, as it was simpler to physically interact with them when they were waiting atop their old coop. The fact that chickens are MUCH lower than us on the food chain and not warm to the idea of being held by me is reasonable. Hoping do not traumatize her,
I am going to try tomorrow (Thurs 8/29) to pick up the low bird on the pecking order (Lavender Orpington - Fredi), if she is the last one out of the coop. Perhaps I can try to hand feed her treats, as she doesn't seem to get them around the other girls?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is there any trick to being able to handle the girls? As I know that there are things that I will need to do to check on the health of the birds, by holding and physically examining them.

Are any of them laying yet? Until they begin laying they tend to be more skittish and standoffish regardless of what you do. Not that they magically become friendly after, but they should calm down a bit. I just had 2 pullets start laying this week and already both are a little easier to grab than before.

Easiest way to pick up birds that otherwise don't want it is to grab them off the roosts at night. They can't see well in the dark.

 

[Jener8or]

If I shake a bag of treats, my chickens come running and most will eat out of my hand. I think food is definitely one of the best ways to win them over.

 

[chrisbohman]

Are any of them laying yet? Until they begin laying they tend to be more skittish and standoffish regardless of what you do. Not that they magically become friendly after, but they should calm down a bit. I just had 2 pullets start laying this week and already both are a little easier to grab than before.

Easiest way to pick up birds that otherwise don't want it is to grab them off the roosts at night. They can't see well in the dark.

Thanks rosemarythyme,
Of my 5 girls, 3 of them, Lynn (a Sapphire Gem), and Ricky and Fredi (both Lavender Orpingtons) I believe are laying. I assume this as the eggs are all brown, and the other 2 birds Princess an Easter Egger and Henrietta she is 'supposedly' an Americauna, both of which should lay blue, green or pink eggs. That idea seems true as the most interactive is Lynn, whom I am assuming was the first to start laying. However the 2nd and 3rd layers are the Lavender Orpingtons, but they are the 2 that I have only been able to touch after dark.
I'm starting to wonder when the last 2 will start laying as I have had all the girls since the first week of April, 21 weeks. Henrietta the Americauna, was at least a week older than the other 4 whom were all new hatchlings.