Chicken doesn’t like me

[Sliiiq]

Hey BYC, I’ve got a couple questions. I just had to swap my cockerel out for a pullet. She’s being quarantined. The problem is she, along with the rest of the chickens at the farm I got her at, don’t particularly like human touch. She looks to be about 9-10 weeks old, an ISA brown & leghorn mix. I got my two other chickens from the same farm when they were chicks, so they’re at least a little more tolerating. My research has concluded that ISA browns like the cuddles, but that is certainly not my case. I suppose it’s because the farm didn’t treat them like “pets” but rather as typical livestock. What should I do to have the new pullet used to me? I want to be able to pick her up from time to time without having her scream at me. She won’t even eat out of my hand. Also, she’s restless being quarantined in a cage, but I don’t have space to quarantine her anywhere else. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[rosemarythyme]

She may never really warm up to you, it's not unusual and you don't have her set up right now to be able to interact with you on her terms. Start off hands off, chickens are prey animals and she doesn't recognize humans as something friendly, so you trying to touch her or handle her is only going to frighten her more. Best thing to do right now is just sit quietly in her vicinity to help her at least get more comfortable around you.

 

[Nashv755]

Not saying starve her but I'd restrict food so she's out when you're around. Then sit and give her an occasional treat. Chickens communicate largely through body language. Don't stare at her straight on, thems fighting words to chickens and I wouldn't want to fight something 50 times my size ether.

If you do pick her up, I pick mine up with a hand on each side so they can't flap. Once I have them high enough I sandwich them between one hand and my body. That allows me to put my free hand under there feet. If they try kicking take the hand away. Repeat until she feels like she isn't trying to escape. Then keep lifting your hand slowly to make her sit in your palm. Once she makes it to that point move the other hand from her side to her back. Here is where I hold slight pressure on the upper back with my wrist and Kinda massage the back of her head between the ears.

It may sound weird but you know the big gulp sound you can make with your throat? I found I can make sounds very similar to the tuk sounds chickens make when they are laying together chatting. When I make that sound once I get a chicken to sit in my hand they relax and start chatting back. I use it for my chicks too when I scratch like I found a treat like a hen would when I hang out in the brooder lol