Chickens are scared of me.

[Gaettberry]

My chickens have been scared of me since I culled one rooster in their flock (too many for 8 hens, 3 roosters) now anytime I come near them they sit in the corner like this and they used to follow me around and now they hide when they get out to free range. How can I show them I’m not a threat I just did what I had to..

 

[CoopBoots]

If I'm harvesting a chicken, I try to catch with little drama and carry far away to take care of business. Mine have a pretty big yard so once I go a ways off they are too distracted to pay much attention to what I may be doing and the business is mostly very quiet. They never seem to miss anyone as it's usually a problem cockerel in the first place. I've seen some great advice about calmly removing your target from the roost at night, which I may do next time, and put in a cage separately till morning when I will process next.

I'd resume/start a lot of handfeeding and spending time sitting calmly in their presence. If they are treating this as a predator event, it may take some time, but you'll get there.

 

[Gaettberry]

If I'm harvesting a chicken, I try to catch with little drama and carry far away to take care of business. Mine have a pretty big yard so once I go a ways off they are too distracted to pay much attention to what I may be doing and the business is mostly very quiet. They never seem to miss anyone as it's usually a problem cockerel in the first place. I've seen some great advice about calmly removing your target from the roost at night, which I may do next time, and put in a cage separately till morning when I will process next.

I'd resume/start a lot of handfeeding and spending time sitting calmly in their presence. If they are treating this as a predator event, it may take some time, but you'll get there.

Thank you for the advice! I’m newer to owning chickens and had no idea they would react like this. I did it during the day when they were locked in their coop and it was very dramatic and they haven’t been the same since.. I’ll have to start all over from square one.. it really sucks because they were starting to lay eggs and haven’t since then :/

 

[Gaettberry]

Thank you for the advice! I’m newer to owning chickens and had no idea they would react like this. I did it during the day when they were locked in their coop and it was very dramatic and they haven’t been the same since.. I’ll have to start all over from square one.. it really sucks because they were starting to lay eggs and haven’t since then :/

Might I add the meat was delicious though!