Feral / psycho chicken

[thiggins]

one of my chickens had her 3 babies in secret. Long story short - she is out and about with her littles and won’t let me anywhere near her, and certainly not within 5 ff of her babies. Momma was already skiddish (born in secret herself). How on earth can I get her to trust me, get those babies to the area I have with grower feed and the water station?!! They are all healthy and active. But I believe I will end up with another set of chickens which run and fly when I approach. All my hens I got from a farmer as pullets are fine with me around. Help?

 

[azygous]

I can tell you understand why this hen is skittish and why her chicks are not trusting. They take their cues from their mama hen.

It takes time to get an adult hen to trust you, and that's the best way to get the babies to be trusting. It takes patience and bribes.

I've found that live meal worms are the most effective of all bribes, and it's fun, too. When the broody is in sight, get as close to her as you can without running her off. Hold out the meal worm for her to see. Once you see she's interested, toss it just beyond your reach, forcing her to come toward you.

Do this a few more times and don't try to touch her. A few hours later, repeat this interaction, but do it closer to your coop and run, not trying to touch her or the chicks.

Finally, conduct the exercise just inside the area where you want her and the chicks. If you have no way to confine her and the chicks, this probably isn't going to accomplish anything. But if you have a pen, coax her inside with the worms and shut the gate when she and the chicks are safely inside the enclosure.

If you do this worm game every day, soon the hen will want to be friends, and eventually she and the babies will be taking the worms from your hand. It will be a natural next step to begin touching them as they take the worms from you, and trust will be starting to be established.

 

[chickens really]

Jest leave food and water out and she will come. They will never be pets.

 

[Shadrach]

one of my chickens had her 3 babies in secret. Long story short - she is out and about with her littles and won’t let me anywhere near her, and certainly not within 5 ff of her babies. Momma was already skiddish (born in secret herself). How on earth can I get her to trust me, get those babies to the area I have with grower feed and the water station?!! They are all healthy and active. But I believe I will end up with another set of chickens which run and fly when I approach. All my hens I got from a farmer as pullets are fine with me around. Help?

Why exactly do you want her to be friendly?
She seems to be managing just fine without you.
You could 'tame' her. Would that be for your benefit or for hers?
Provide her with food and water and if she will use a coop space provide her with that as well.
She may not mix with other chickens is you have them.
It is perfectly natural for a mother hen to be on her own with her chicks. A lot will depend on who she lived with before she sat and hatched, if she has a rooster and where she considers home to be.
Here mums that sit and hatch away from their coops all at some point return home with their chicks and introduce them to the flock they lived with. There is no particular time this is done. It depends on the hen, what her position was in the hierarchy, the safety of her nest site and to some extent the fearfulness of her chicks.
I would leave her be. While the chicks are very young, mother permittinng, you can get them to accept you to the point of handling. From approximately 10 days old, that chance is gone and their natural instinct is to be fearful of humans. Once the mother has stopped feeding and caring for them, that would be the time to try to make friends.

 

[thiggins]

Why exactly do you want her to be friendly?
She seems to be managing just fine without you.
You could 'tame' her. Would that be for your benefit or for hers?
Provide her with food and water and if she will use a coop space provide her with that as well.
She may not mix with other chickens is you have them.
It is perfectly natural for a mother hen to be on her own with her chicks. A lot will depend on who she lived with before she sat and hatched, if she has a rooster and where she considers home to be.
Here mums that sit and hatch away from their coops all at some point return home with their chicks and introduce them to the flock they lived with. There is no particular time this is done. It depends on the hen, what her position was in the hierarchy, the safety of her nest site and to some extent the fearfulness of her chicks.
I would leave her be. While the chicks are very young, mother permittinng, you can get them to accept you to the point of handling. From approximately 10 days old, that chance is gone and their natural instinct is to be fearful of humans. Once the mother has stopped feeding and caring for them, that would be the time to try to make friends.

Momma brings the littles into the coop at night. I just thought perhaps I’m not doing my job helping momma raise them. Momma herself was a secret offspring. I guess I’ll just let them be. Thanks!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Don't listen to these Negative Nancy's! Try to tame her and the chicks..... we all want chickens to run up to us and be comfortable around us!

 

[Jetblack2004]

You’re going to struggle to tame her if she’s already very overprotective. Some hens just have that kind of personality.

It’s always worth a try with the treats and trying to stop her from seeing you as a threat.

 

[aart]

Momma brings the littles into the coop at night. I just thought perhaps I’m not doing my job helping momma raise them. Momma herself was a secret offspring. I guess I’ll just let them be. Thanks!

She would be fine on her own, good she's bringing them to shelter at night for safety.
If you really want to 'tame' her, lock her and her chicks in the coop and start spending time with her. It will take a lot of time.