Getting them to warm up to you - hope this is the right place to post

NewToChix

In the Brooder
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Just got our pullets yesterday and they are very skittish. I know that is probably normal right now but wondering how long it takes them to warm up to and get used to you?
Are there things we can do to help the process out? I would like them to be as friendly as their little personalities let them be.

Thanks in advance.
 
Don't force the issue by catching and holding them. Sit very quietly in the area you are keeping them. Food is a great motivator. Use food or treats to get them to approach you. Give them time - most will eventually come around.
 
I agree with Sourland that you shouldn't chase them and try to hold them when everything is new to them. Remember that chickens are prey animals and something reaching down and grabbing them is going to be seen as a terrifying predator. Sitting on a low stool and tossing a treat now and then (something healthy like cherry tomatoes) will go a long way. I have two videos on YouTube that might help you. One illustrates how to properly pick up a chicken and the other one shows how my hens come when called. Here's my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/thehencam
Always keep in mind that "calm and quiet" works for all animals, even chickens. Enjoy your new flock!
 
Okay. I sat outside with them yesterday and threw some peach in there for them. They just kind of ignored me. Haha. But last night at dusk when I went out to see if they had gone in their coop - which they haven't yet and I think they would probably die of dehydration if I hadn't moved their water in the run - they came right up to me so I could put them in their coop for the night!
 
Ignoring you is better than being skittish! You're making progress. BTW, when it's this hot the hens won't cross a sunny bare patch to go into the coop for their water, so I put a second waterer out in the shade where they hang out.
 
Is the "friendly chicken" a myth? Ours have been terrified of us since we got them as hatchlings. I spend time with them every day. They're excited to see the treats. But I'm still a huge scary monster.
 
The big girl, our GSL, is the friendliest. She will let me rub under her chin for a second. Then she'll come back down to earth and start pecking at my hand yelling 'who are you?!' Pretty cute. They're coming along.
 
Thanks for that advice. I didn't know hens were so high maintenance. I moved their waterer in the shade. The GSL is the only one with enough sense to go in the coop for water and food so they are both in the run now.
 
There's a wide personality range in chickens, even within breeds. Of a dozen hens in a flock, you might have one or two who stand out as being friendly. Don't expect the chickens to respond to you like your furry friends, just get to know them for who they are. Sit on a low stool and simply watch and toss a treat now and then. You'll figure out which one is bold, which done is curious, etc. If they free-range and you garden, get into the habit of calling them over when you find a grub. They'll soon keep you company when weeding.
 

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