Best way to tame a silkie?

[AmyCarys23]

I have recently bought 3 silkies, one partridge (4months) a white one (5 months), and a black one (year old). My year old black silkie was handled quite a lot before I bought her so she isn't too bad, but my other two, the partridge especially is very nervous and hates being picked up. I though silkies liked to be handled, and I need them tame to show, is it a matter of just handling them every day?

 

[Modena]

The best way to tame a chicken is to handle them as chicks and they grow up knowing your not going to hurt them. If you are willing you could breed them and handle the chicks and just have 4 not so close chickens

 

[AmyCarys23]

I don't really want to breed them I want the ones I have to become tame, but thanks anyway

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

These are gonna sound like some stupid answers, but it's how I tamed mine and it worked great. All of my Silkies, especially the roos, love to be handled and climb all over me when I go into their coop.
The first, of course, is to handle them a lot. Hold them, carry them around, and sit with them for lengthy amounts of times.
Secondly, talk to them quietly. They seem to like it and it calms them down. They'll learn your voice and if you speak calmly to them they will soon start being calm.
And the third, and weirdest, is...uh...cheese balls!!!!! Go to the dollar store, and get a bag of cheese balls or cheese puffs. They don't need a bunch of them of course as they aren't exactly healthy, but they LOVE them. Takes some cheeseballs to your flock and they'll be your best friend before you know it.
Of course the best is to raise them from chicks and handle them frequently, but I had gotten numerous Silkies as adults and these three things work nearly just as well.
Do you have a rooster> If so, focus on taming him. If you can get him tame, the hens will follow his example and copy what he does.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

LOL, you could train me to do most anything using cheese balls, too. But it is true they are not so healthy especially because they are salty. I used wheat bread to train a practically feral Old English Game to be pet on the ear lobe . And there are lots of other treats you could try as well. But I agree with starting by sitting with them and talking soothingly. Offer a treat for increasing contact beginning with standing near by for a while, to petting the chest, to petting the earlobe, to placing the hand under the body like you would if you were to pick up the silkie. Work your way up to holding the silkies. Try to not chase the silkies to pick them up. It will take some time and patience, but I think they will become more comfortable with being handled.

 

[TheLukeMeister]

I'm having the same problem with my silkies, they hate it when I touch them (except when I'm feeding them treats) and they don't like being picked up- but after I pick them up they are as friendly as a dog. They're about 2 months old and I feed them treats every day and bring them in the house on the couch. I also wanted to know how long it would take to get tame silkies (I know it doesn't happen over night and it's not the same with each chicken, I was just wondering).

 

[AmyCarys23]

These are gonna sound like some stupid answers, but it's how I tamed mine and it worked great. All of my Silkies, especially the roos, love to be handled and climb all over me when I go into their coop.
 The first, of course, is to handle them a lot. Hold them, carry them around, and sit with them for lengthy amounts of times.
Secondly, talk to them quietly. They seem to like it and it calms them down. They'll learn your voice and if you speak calmly to them they will soon start being calm.
And the third, and weirdest, is...uh...cheese balls!!!!! Go to the dollar store, and get a bag of cheese balls or cheese puffs. They don't need a bunch of them of course as they aren't exactly healthy, but they LOVE them. Takes some cheeseballs to your flock and they'll be your best friend before you know it.
 Of course the best is to raise them from chicks and handle them frequently, but I had gotten numerous Silkies as adults and these three things work nearly just as well.
 Do you have a rooster> If so, focus on taming him. If you can get him tame, the hens will follow his example and copy what he does.

thank you so much, your advice was really helpful, I will try the cheese balls!

 

[AmyCarys23]

LOL, you could train me to do most anything using cheese balls, too. But it is true they are not so healthy especially because they are salty. I used wheat bread to train a practically feral Old English Game to be pet on the ear lobe . And there are lots of other treats you could try as well. But I agree with starting by sitting with them and talking soothingly. Offer a treat for increasing contact beginning with standing near by for a while, to petting the chest, to petting the earlobe, to placing the hand under the body like you would if you were to pick up the silkie. Work your way up to holding the silkies. Try to not chase the silkies to pick them up. It will take some time and patience, but I think they will become more comfortable with being handled.

thank you, once mine have been picked up they soon settle and seem okay, they just go frantic when k try to pick them up!

 

[-Farm-Animals-]

I got my silkies when they were 4 months old. And i have tried to pick them up but they are just to afraid i guess they always run away.



RUNAWAY
CHICKENS

 

[silly silkies]

what i have done (well i was doing it for my duck but it works for chickens to.) is i get lettuce (alot cause if you have ducks they eat it up like crazy!!) and i sit on the ground and put out some lettuce. i eventually try to get it closer to me. i haven't actually gotten my chickens or ducks let me pet them. (thats not true i guess i had to pick my one rooster up because he was fighting with the other one.) but my duck (Daisy) eats out of my hand now it really works. one thing to do is every morning (or whenever you go and feed them) bring peeled carrot scraps, potatoe scarps, lettuce, etc and give it to them eventually every morning the'll run over to the gate and quack, or crow. they think every time you come you'll have treats it really works!!