HELP ME!

[6of6chicks]

There is a picture in one of my puppy training books that I always think of when dealing with skittish animals. It shows a person calling a dog - they have their arms stretch wide and have a big grin on their face. But the camera is about 6 inches off the ground (puppy level) and pointing upwards. From that angle the human looks monstrous. The whole point was to show how people look from a small animal's perspective, and believe me - it's pretty scary.

And at least dogs are intelligent! Trying to win over a bird-brain is much, much harder, lol! I think it just takes a lot of time, patience, slow movements, soft voices, and a boat-load of treats. Chicken-crack kind of treats (mealworms or fresh corn). They'll come around eventually!

(Oh, and the puppy book's advice was to get down on one knee when calling your dog. Makes you much less threatening and is highly effective.)

 

[K9Dave]

Chickens neither hate or love our guts.  However a leghorn has had less human meddling with their body structure than most chickens have.  Therefor a leghorn or other Mediterranean type of chicken is more dexterous and is able to run, fly,  hide from, and avoid that strange looking monster on two legs that just came into their run.

Take a bucket into the run with you.  Before feeding turn the bucket over and set down on it.  You are now more on the chickens level and look less like King Kong.  This also helps you avoid making a quick lunge or grab at a chicken just to give it some loving.  Chickens live in flocks and any alarm quickly passes from bird to bird.  Have a soup can of scratch feed or some shelled corn with you.  Talk to them in a low soft and monotone voice.  When your birds come out of hiding to investigate and by using only your thumb, flick a corn kernel their way.  Don't give them another until the first is found and eaten.  Before long they will associate you with the corn.  If you avoid sudden and frightening (to a chicken) movements before long you'll have to push them out of your lap to go back into your own house.  The fat, fuzzy, and fluffy breeds are less able to avoid human contact and these breeds are also further removed from a natural chicken living in the wild.  Game chicken breeds and other Mediterranean strains or breeds are the closest thing that we have today to a "Heritage" chicken breed. 

It's just an expression. It's an emotion to hate.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It's just an expression. It's an emotion to hate.

True, but I had to start my post somewhere, and your post was the most logical place for me to start.

 

[phelanwolf]

that sounds like great advice! thank you soo much!

 

[phelanwolf]

great! ill try to look as small as possible! haha thanks!

 

[phelanwolf]

thank you for the optimism! ill be very patient and keep trying!