Crazy Chickens People Thread (I hope this catches on!!!)

[LaFemmeKatia]

My chickens are scared of me. I have had them since 8 May and they were about 13 weeks old. No matter how I entice them with goodies, they stay extremely wary. And rightly so, since I am very impatient and volatile. I feel so envious of others when I see them sitting with a hen on their lap. I am hoping I can tame a chick if any eggs hatch. I'd love to be able to post close-up. I'd love to be able to catch them without melodrama and heart attacks. Anger is my active emotion when startled, or sad, or hurt or disappointed, whatever. The birds freaking out on me when I need to powder them or check them over is counter-productive, so now I just leave them be and dream from afar. Any tips?

My chickens are afraid of me too. But it’s improving. I started spending time just sitting in the coop/ run area. Not only for feeding and cleaning. I put a chair in there, but sometimes I sit on their tree stump. I talk to them, but also I just hang out while I’m on Facebook or texting friends or even talking on my phone. I sit out there to read. Even if I’m only in there 20 minutes I think it helps. They have started coming around me. I still can’t pick them up but my Buff Orpington lets me pet her a little bit!
I read somewhere to do this so I am trying it and it seems to be working!

 

[Lids]

Yesterday was the day! At least it was for Goose, my cochin! She laid her first pretty little pullet egg, all adorably tiny and torpedo like!I always get such a kick out of these first teeny weeny eggs, especially since she's such a big, big girl!

View attachment 2309956
(Goose's egg on the left, one of my production red's, who's half her size, on the right)

Beautiful eggs. What kind of chicken lays those enormous round ones?

 

[Lids]

My chickens are afraid of me too. But it’s improving. I started spending time just sitting in the coop/ run area. Not only for feeding and cleaning. I put a chair in there, but sometimes I sit on their tree stump. I talk to them, but also I just hang out while I’m on Facebook or texting friends or even talking on my phone. I sit out there to read. Even if I’m only in there 20 minutes I think it helps. They have started coming around me. I still can’t pick them up but my Buff Orpington lets me pet her a little bit!
I read somewhere to do this so I am trying it and it seems to be working!

This gives me hope, yet I am skeptical, since my chickens are completely free range. I do try to sit or be around them as often as I can, like when I feed them a plate of especially valued treats, but they move off if I so much as move a finger. I hate rejection, lol. But thanks for your encouraging story!

 

[Lids]

View attachment 2310081
My broody telling me she needs to have one less cockerel and five more nest boxes. Introduced a RIR cockerel the night before this picture, and when she came out to do her broody shuffle.... she was met by the new boy, who insisted on showing he’s head of the pack. This particular broody has flogged a bull calf and momma....so new cockerel isn’t intimidating at all. After that was settled (cockerel never even touched her surprisingly..... just a lot of posturing) she went inside briefly and came out to jump in my lap.
She’s my favorite girl

She is so gorgeous! Her feathers are almost like hair...

 

[Lids]

first, recognizing your problem is huge. Now you should calmly sit and just watch them. Let them get used to you again. If one approaches you drop a treat near you. Touching and handling them will come later. They have to learn to trust their person

Thanks, that is what I will do. The top of dropping the treat instead of flinging it is possibly the answer.

 

[cooingdove]

my fave is scared of me she used to be super friendly she her name is little guy wich I totally don't like mama just started calling her that and it kinda stuck

I don't know what bread she is they all totally interbreed

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Beautiful eggs. What kind of chicken lays those enormous round ones?

Regular old production reds, my Golden Comets to be more specific. They lay extra large eggs daily for me, but they often have a large ratio of reproductive diseases compared to the heritage breeds and most die fairly young, so I'm in the middle of phasing them out of my flock as nice as it is to have the beautiful eggs.

 

[janiedoe]

Don't be ashamed @MarkJr addiction is a scary thing but here, we all have a problem. Lol.
Hi. My name is Janie and I have an addiction to chickens.
I currently have 3 dozen if you count chicks with broodies...and really who does?
I have 18 hens from 1 yr. to 5yrs?, 5 pullets at 6 mo., 3 pullets at 11 weeks, four week old chicks sex undeetermined.
1 rooster 2 1/2 yrs old, 1 cockrel 16 weeks old, and 2 cockrels 11 to 12 weeks.
I have 17 chicks ordered, I will pick them up in a couple of weeks.
Most of my flock is backyard mix, easter eggers, and olive eggers.
A few pics:

 

[LateBirdFarms]

My chickens are scared of me. I have had them since 8 May and they were about 13 weeks old. No matter how I entice them with goodies, they stay extremely wary. And rightly so, since I am very impatient and volatile. I feel so envious of others when I see them sitting with a hen on their lap. I am hoping I can tame a chick if any eggs hatch. I'd love to be able to post close-up. I'd love to be able to catch them without melodrama and heart attacks. Anger is my active emotion when startled, or sad, or hurt or disappointed, whatever. The birds freaking out on me when I need to powder them or check them over is counter-productive, so now I just leave them be and dream from afar. Any tips?

What breeds do you have? That may factor in on how flighty they are and be making your approach all the more startling to them. I've got all different personalities in my mixed flock, some that will only let me near them while they're dozing off on the roost at night and some that will happily eat out of my hand and let almost anyone cart them around like a proper domesticated pet. I also have some particularly bold ones that would happily bite the hand that feeds in order to get said hand to drop all the goodies promptly without any of that sharing them about nonsense! Knowing that you're frustrated and surly as a result is a huge step, but there may be other reasons at play as to why they are super flighty in the first place. Beyond what breeds you have, did you hand rise your chicks? Were they purchased as day olds or older birds? (And forgive me if this was included in your post somewhere, my mind is a slippery thing these days! )