Help! Unfriendly Chickens

[HHovance1998]

I currently have three chickens. One who is about 8 weeks and two who are more like 5 weeks. The 8 week old I have raised from birth with no other chicken interaction, so basically she thinks I am her mother. Just bought two chicks who are roughly 5 weeks. They were raised by mother hens and not humans. They seem to get along very well with my other chicken but not so much towards me. They peck at my hand and run when I try to get them out of the coop. My 8 week old is very friendly, but the other two I am worried may always be fearful of me. Is there any thing I can do to build trust between the chicks and me? and help them realize I am not a threat. I just want them to like me

 

[21hens-incharge]

Food is a wonderful tool in training chickens.

I would do the following...

1. Move slowly when around them.
2. Do not grab them from above unless you have to for their safety.
3. Sit quietly near where they are foraging and toss small bits of feed their direction.
4. When they come near to get the treats have your hand out with the back of it on the ground and a bit of the treats in your palm. When they go for what is in your hand do not flinch or move at all. Just let them have it.
5. Avoid approaching them from above. Hawks come from above and so do many other threats. Natural that they would try to get away if someone is also coming from above.

Repeat these steps daily for months on end and one day they may let you handle them. Remember that not all chicken breeds are created equal either.
The chicken in my avatar is a Hamburg. Flighty birds by nature, I cannot pick her up without a fuss nor will she take treats from my hands. She is 5 years old and has always been this way. I have other breeds and the ones described as "friendly" tend to be well friendly while ones described to be flighty are just that.

Hoping some of this helps you tame the beast lol.

Babs

 

[MaLoTu]

I don't know the answer. I have 12 and I have raised all but 4 from day-olds. They all run from me when I try to pick them up. One of the ones that I got at about 9-10 weeks old is as friendly as the ones I raised from day-olds (it is a Maran). The other 1 will come near me, but is clearly afraid and the other 2 won't come anywhere near me most of the time. I have owned them for at least 2 months now.

All in all, they know that I am going to feed them, but pets they are not, not like dogs anyway. Although, some people have some birds that are like pets, I think it is the exception and not the rule.

I also believe that breed has something to do with it. My Black Sex-Linked chicks were never really interested in being petted or held. My buff orps were better, but some of them were more friendly than others.

So, what I am getting at is that I don't think that there is anything you can do. They will learn that you bring food and will not fear you like a predator, but they might not ever be like pets.

 

[CoopedUpChicken]

Use the one who likes you to your advantage.

I have 16 3 month old chicks and most of them will fly up, sit on my lap and let me pet them.
I have had a few skittish ones who never would, until the other day...
I hand fed them treats.
Eventually, the higher up pullets in the pecking order got full and so the lower ones got a chance.
They all ate out of my hand, even the lower pecking order skittish ones.
Today, 3 of them jumped up in my lap for the first time.
I didn't touch them or grab them.
I let them come to me in their own time.

 

[Sutremaine]

4. When they come near to get the treats have your hand out with the back of it on the ground and a bit of the treats in your palm. When they go for what is in your hand do not flinch or move at all. Just let them have it.

Adding to this, it might also help to turn your head away completely so you can't react to their body language. Get a nice handful of treats, so that when they do get their beaks in they'll be in the food and not at your skin.

I did this with my two new ones. They weren't unfriendly birds, but I wanted to get them settled in and comfortable enough that I could observe them closely. The only time I've picked them up is at dusk when they can't figure out the coop, and since they learned to walk in when I scratched and tapped at the ramp and bars I haven't picked them up or tried to touch them at all.

 

[rides2far]

I noticed mine got a lot friendlier when the got close to laying.

 

[21hens-incharge]

My pullets that I did not get to handle much are also getting friendlier and have begun laying.
I think it does change them once they start to lay.

Some breeds are always flighty though. Something to know.

 

[Happygirlme]

My 4 were described as docile and friendly.They all come right up to me, climb on my legs, feed from my hand but do NOT want to be picked up or handled.They are all 18 weeks old ive had them 2 weeks.Im with them upwards of 2 hours a day. Must admit im disappointed as i thought theyd just let me cuddle.It feels like im cleaning up an awful lot of turds for no return.Hope they get friendlier x