Do my chickens trust me?

[The Chickadoodles]

They sometimes eat out of my hand but the cockerel make noises like he is worried or alarming the others. How do I make them trust me and not mind me putting their food in without making alarming sounds?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are they? Chickens under a year tend to be more skiddish than older chickens.

 

[Ribh]

It sounds like your birds are both young & new? If that is the case they are still learning. Time & Patience are your friends.

Firstly your rooster is doing his rooster thing. Part of his job is to warn his girls of any perceived threat. You are a perceived threat. You are big & you are tid~biting his girls away from him when you offer treats. I have an all hen flock so I don't know much about roosters but unless he is submissive to you he is likely to become a problem when his hormones really kick in. Others here know heaps more about rooster behaviour.

As for your girls...set aside some large chunks of time ~ say 1/2 an hour. Put a low chair or stool in the run & sit quietly just watching them & letting them get used to you. Then quietly offer a treat ~ something irresistible like mealworms. I began by calling them: tuk~tuk~tuk but people use whistles or bells, anything really that they can associate with good things coming their way. Scatter the treat but gradually drop it closer & closer to where you are so they get used to you. Remember, no sudden movements or loud noises.

The trust won't happen the first time, or the 2nd time, not even the first week, but over time, if you are consistent, your birds will learn you bring good things & will stop being so flighty. Some birds are naturally more trusting than others.

I have Campines, notoriously flighty & difficult. Don't like being handled. It took 10 months but this is Tuppence enjoying a cuddle. She is even relaxed enough to close her eyes & doze.

Hope that is helpful.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Chickadoodles, I have yet to learn enough patience, but as the others said, the more time you spend with them the better....Enjoy your flock...

 

[FortCluck]

Roosters are different when it comes to trust. You have to earn his trust first. Roosters usually run the flock.

You have to get your rooster used to you or you can run into problems. I have owned several roosters and only 2 have been perfect.

Once the rooster trusts you, the ladies will trust you too.

I always work with my roosters first (I should be saying cockerel because young ones are called that). I hand feed them and give them treats first before anyone else when they're young. I acknowledge them first when I go into the run.

When cockerels get hormonal, they can change because all the hormones are racing through them. This is where you can tell if they'll work or not with you and your flock. If they're attacking you, I would find a new cockerel because they usually stay like that. You can also carry them around the yard and embarass them in front of the flock to make sure they know you're the boss. I did this with my BJG and he has yet to mess with me again. We had our ups and downs in the beginning, but he's a good boy now.

I make sure my roosters give me space so I would bring out a stick and put a distance between me and them. They now stay that distance away from me unless I ask them to come closer. I like to have my space so I'm not tripped or anything while I'm doing my farm chores.

 

[Acre4Me]

Chickens are prey animals and hard wired to be wary. When young they are more skittish. When they reach laying age they generally get more friendly and relaxed, even if you don’t spend a huge amount of time with them. When a cockerel hits puberty, he does NOT get more friendly, but he shouldn’t attack you either (but he might try).

What breeds, how many, and how old?

 

[aart]

but the cockerel make noises like he is worried or alarming the others.

If you could get video of this, so we could hear the noises, it would help immensely.

 

[chickens really]

How old are the birds? I definitely don't hand feed my chickens. My Cockerel is 11 months and always makes a brrrrring call if I'm doing something inside his Coop.
He definitely doesn't attack but the Hens and Pullets listen to him and hide away from me. I do what's needed and walk back out.

 

[The Chickadoodles]

They are all 3 months old and I have 1 Australorp rooster, 1 Rhode Island Red hen, and 1 (Philippines) Native Chicken.