Do My Chicks Hate Me?

[MaureenC]

I got my buff orp chicks at 12 days old on Monday and they were terrified of me. I know buff orpingtons are known for being very friendly and social - but these steps worked for me and maybe they will help you too:

I kept putting tiny bits of sunflower chips in my hand, chopped up really tiny, and put my hand in the brooder. They wouldn't come at first, but I just left my hand there for awhile, then dropped the chips down. (tiny amounts so you can repeat it lots and don't mess up their diet too bad - they should eat mostly chick starter)

After doing this a few times, they figured out that my hand came in with chips, and they started competing for the chips.

Now it's Wed & they eat from my hand, climb into my hands - I even had one climb up my arm!

Did the same thing with watermelon - they are crazy for watermelon - now the only way I give them watermelon is on my lap, so they get a positive opinion about sitting on my lap.

Here's a youtube video of my sweet chickies being socialized / trained with watermelon - they are soooo cute:

 

[Wolftalk]

socialize socialize socialize!!!!!

good luck

 

[luvinmychickens]

Scratch or mealworms might work? My chicks LOVED those things! And socialize!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I recently moved my 50+ chicks out of the front yard and into a room we re-did in the barn. I have a few chicks that are very sweet and love attention, but the others were more stand-offish.
This morning I decided just to sit-down in the coop, my Splash JG mix roo and my Bantam mix hen both jumped up in my lap and were getting snuggles and who knows what else, and then one of my Lavender Ameraucana hens timidly comes into my lap..and so on and so forth until I was buried in chickadees!

~ Aspen

 

[LibertyChick]

Quote:
How old are your chickens? I tried to give mine an apple when they were younger (14 weeks now) and they didn't want to have anything to do with it. I was thinking they might have been too young and had trouble pecking at it.

 

[BrownSheep]

Quote:
Mine are about 10 weeks, but have been eating apples since they were 4 weeks. I cut the apples up into chunks or twist a knife around in it to make gaps.

 

[pennstatezim]

My rir are a little to friendly because when they were babies my gf use to hold them all the time and play with them so now when I walk into the coop I got a bunch of chickens trying to sit on my shoulders or if you bent over they all will get on your back.

 

[LibertyChick]

My chicks are 14 weeks and will be laying soon as their combs and waddles are turning red. I haven't started feeding the layer pellets yet but I have them and read to give it to them.

I have the nesting boxed blocked off so they won't go in there. Should I open that up for them and get it ready to start laying eggs now? I don't want them laying in it and pooping in there.

Thanks,

 

[orpingtonbabies]

Treats are always good... but chicks can be picky eaters... That will go away. Just sit with them occasionally don't try to hold them or anything, but just be around especially when feeding and they will get accustomed to you. Then you can pet and hold them.

 

[ChickenFanatic447]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to try watermelon soon as one poster suggested (those chicks were adorable by the way, thank you for sharing). And I'm considering buying some dried mealworms next time I go by the reptile store to get crickets for my frogs. My chicks go crazy over crickets right now and will fight over them, but it is hard to hold those in my hands at this point. I'm just hoping that I'll have more success as they grow older. Thank you for helping me out.