First Time Chicken Owner!

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emimiller8

emimiller8

Chirping
7 Years
Feb 9, 2013
70
1
99
Central Coast, CA
VERY EXCITED!! This has been one of the best weekends in my life! Got my new pullets on Friday (took friday off work to get hens from a local farm delivery service) My boyfriend and I purchased four chickens. They are a 10week Buff orpington, 10week silver laced wyandotte, a 11week Easter Egger, and a 14week Australop. We have a small coop that fits four hen perfectly (hope to get a pic up soon, ITS SO CUTE!!) and a decent sized run We kept the hens in the coop for the first day and night. we let them out at dusk tonight (saturday) and we held them and they all found their way back into the coop. We may have startled them trying to hold them. I read tonight that the best way to socialize and train your hens is with treats. I just want my hens to grow up to be happy and friendly. My sister with downsyndrome lives with me and she is almost as excited about the chickens as I am and I want her to have an interactive and enjoyable experience as well. Any advice I appreciate. Thanks and cant wait to be part of BYC! this site rocks.

How should I go about socialization when starting from 10-14 week old hens??
 
I am a new chicken mama - our little group of five were 4-days old when we got them and now are seven weeks. What I have found to be the most rewarding is having a little schedule. Morning are mealworms, night time is lettuce or a little watermelon. But I am not embarrassed to say I talk to them a lot. Use their names a lot. Now they know my voice and follow me around. We have been working on ladder lessons the last few days... Little progress but we'll get there. :) have Fun!!!
 
Hi and :welcome

Your chickens sound awesome! Yeah, treats are probably the best way to socialise. Even regular feeding will do. They get to know whoever brings the food over time and will run up when they hear you coming. :lol:
Don't worry if they don't like you holding them though, not all chickens do. I find that if you don't want them to kick, hold them so their feet are pointing up. Then they kind of settle down.
Good luck! I hope you and your sister have many great times with the chickens. :D
 
Yeah, mine aren't that interested in being picked up either, but they like to be near me and squwak at me.
 
Hi there, I am also a first time chicken owner. We started with just 2 17 week old isa brown's & found the best way to socialize is with food, holding a small container with a little seed will encourage even the timidest of birds to sit on your knee & be petted. Keep in mind all this socializing occurred with the dog (malamout x cattle) & cat walking & sniffing around, as well as a 3 & 5 year old constantly grabbing & jumping all over the place. Just brought home 2 more isa brown's, so the new birds are having to contend with all of the above & being the "new girls" so are having to find there place in the "pecking order". Still these things take time.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC
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Glad you joined us!
 

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