Bonding with my new hen...

[jessicademery]

I have two hens that we got at over a year old we love them but they are not friendliest. Looking to add a silkie to our flock. At 4 months old will they still make a bond with us? We want a friendly pet chicken. Should we purchase younger and raise it to form a bond? Help!

 

[artsyrobin]

i discovered a good way to make your hens firiendlier is give them a bubble bath, spend alot of time with her, then towel dry her, and blow dry, somehow that interaction helps break down some of the reserves- as far as another chicken, look into cochins, might be a better choice, as silkies can get hurt easy in a flock, pecking and scuffling

 

[jak2002003]

Its never a good idea to add new chickens to a flock - and its a very very bad idea to add just one!

The new chicken, especially a younger bird, will get beat up and pecked something terrible. Your original birds will see the new one as in intruder into their territory.

If you want to add new chickens its best to add a few all at once, so it divides the fighting between 3 or 4 new hens, not just one that will get all the harassment.

Why don't you try making your original chickens more friendly? Just find out what treat they like the most and keep offering it to them each day, spending a few minutes with them, talking to them. Soon they will come running to you every time they see you in case you have treats.

Once they are doing that you can hand feed them, and start stroking then as they eat. Once they are used to that you can pick them up gently and then put them down as you keep feeding them. Soon they will not get scared when you pick them up and they will trust you.

As for the age of the chicken and it bonding with you it makes no difference. It just depends on how much time you can spend around them and handle them.. the more you handle them the calmer they will be.