Erratic Chickens

Critjen

In the Brooder
Aug 30, 2018
16
14
41
Good afternoon all! So I need advice on how to make my chickens friendly. I did research on breeds and thought that polish birds would be nice and calm but there's always been one that has been erratic. I ended up only being able to keep one polish bird and I adopted two other bantams. One was an australorp-polish mix and the other, some kind of silkie mix. Well neither of them are able to be held. They're highly erratic and I can't even get close to them without them running away or flying away. The silkie mix is the worst. I've considered them carrying baggage with them since I adopted at a couple of months old. But does anyone have any advice? I believe that they have potential, I just need to get some advice.

No pictures yet, but maybe I'll be able to get them calm enough to take pictures with! They're truly beautiful.

Side note: When I introduced the birds, they were fine and didn't fight. The polish bird just kinda avoids the other two.
Actually, the silkie mixed bird was so erratic, she ran away for two nights when I first got her and surprisingly survived.
But I have so much love for them. So amazing still
 
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I would spend time in the coop or run sitting quietly, toss some scratch grains to them.
As they run out toss some less far, slowely work them closer to you. This could take weeks. Make your apperance in the chicken pen mean good things are about to happen for them. They will come to trust you and look forwRd to your visits.
NOT all chickens will become pets though.
Each has its own personality and dont force it.
The frendliest chickens i have had were barred rock and old english game. I have also had some pretty flighty individuals of the same breeds.
Good luck with your chickens!
 
Good afternoon all! So I need advice on how to make my chickens friendly. I did research on breeds and thought that polish birds would be nice and calm but there's always been one that has been erratic. I ended up only being able to keep one polish bird and I adopted two other bantams. One was an australorp-polish mix and the other, some kind of silkie mix. Well neither of them are able to be held. They're highly erratic and I can't even get close to them without them running away or flying away. The silkie mix is the worst. I've considered them carrying baggage with them since I adopted at a couple of months old. But does anyone have any advice? I believe that they have potential, I just need to get some advice.

No pictures yet, but maybe I'll be able to get them calm enough to take pictures with! They're truly beautiful.

Side note: When I introduced the birds, they were fine and didn't fight. The polish bird just kinda avoids the other two.
Actually, the silkie mixed bird was so erratic, she ran away for two nights when I first got her and surprisingly survived.
But I have so much love for them. So amazing still
I hand-raised 5 of my girls from chicks and then added 3 pullets of the same age to my flock in July. The difference between the birds I raised from birth and the 3 that I got later is night and day. They're all 8 months old now, and 2 of the 3 "new kids" (an Ancona and a Dominique) won't let me anywhere near them. One of my hand-raised Easter Eggers also won't let me near her, but the other Easter Egger got a little more friendly when she started laying (finally!) last week. The one who is still standoffish is the only bird in the flock who hasn't started laying yet. Meanwhile, one of my RI Reds follows me around and pecks at my feet until I pick her up and carry her around with me while I do my chores. My Black Star flies up and roosts on my shoulder like a giant, awkward parrot if I stay still too long. It just takes time and patience (and snacks) to get them to trust you, but some don't ever really settle down.
 
It just takes alot of time, especially since they are already grown. The best way is to feed them on the ground, and gradually over time you can feed them out of your hand, and maybe start petting them on their backs when they eat.

Thank you so much! This makes me feel better.
 
I would spend time in the coop or run sitting quietly, toss some scratch grains to them.
As they run out toss some less far, slowely work them closer to you. This could take weeks. Make your apperance in the chicken pen mean good things are about to happen for them. They will come to trust you and look forwRd to your visits.
NOT all chickens will become pets though.
Each has its own personality and dont force it.
The frendliest chickens i have had were barred rock and old english game. I have also had some pretty flighty individuals of the same breeds.
Good luck with your chickens!
Thx for your insight! Being so new to chicken keeping, I don't really know what to expect so this is helpful
 
I hand-raised 5 of my girls from chicks and then added 3 pullets of the same age to my flock in July. The difference between the birds I raised from birth and the 3 that I got later is night and day. They're all 8 months old now, and 2 of the 3 "new kids" (an Ancona and a Dominique) won't let me anywhere near them. One of my hand-raised Easter Eggers also won't let me near her, but the other Easter Egger got a little more friendly when she started laying (finally!) last week. The one who is still standoffish is the only bird in the flock who hasn't started laying yet. Meanwhile, one of my RI Reds follows me around and pecks at my feet until I pick her up and carry her around with me while I do my chores. My Black Star flies up and roosts on my shoulder like a giant, awkward parrot if I stay still too long. It just takes time and patience (and snacks) to get them to trust you, but some don't ever really settle down.
AHAH thanks! Wow that was informational
 
We hand raised 14, across 6 breeds. handled a lot, but still took age and laying eggs to become most friendly. One, a Black Australorp, is named “Baby”, as she allows you to hold he like a baby. All of the Dark brown Leghorns are skittish and not really friendly (although very curious).


Then, a Black Australorp went broody, so we bought 7 chicks (7 breeds), and she did an awesome job raising them. They are 14 weeks old, and are not interested in humans in the least bit, and run away from us, fly away over our heads (as they are still small enough and desperate enough to get away). Due to momma hen, they had much less contact with us. However, they are not yet laying, so that could improve the situation.

Good luck!
 
Every Bird is different. Some the more you try to get close to them the more flighty they become. I got older Silkie Pullets a Silkie Cockerel and a Rosecomb Pullet this fall. They were definitely a bit flighty. I just ignored them for weeks and go about my business in my Coop and feed, collect eggs and clean. Now when I go into the Coop they come right up to my feet and softly cluck to me. I don't ever hold Birds. I just let them be themselves around me.
 

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