Before I got any chickens, I read several books and was fairly confident that as an ex-vet tech and someone with common sense, I could handle raising chickens.
My neighbor insisted on giving me 4 hens and since he is awesome and cut our hay for us, I put aside my dreams of Rhode Island Reds. Two days ago he brought my four girls over and I love them dearly, but they are not what I expected at all. I had never seen his chicken set-up and didn't realize that he raises his chickens in cages (spacious) and that they never go out unless he's cleaning the hen house. Also he never holds them and touches them much at all, so they are completely unused to people.
I have a fairly spacious coop with a fenced run inside another, larger fenced pen. My poor girls are completely freaked out. They don't know what perches are since all his chicken cages have flat bottoms. They are frightened of people. They've never been fed anything but scratch mix and they don't know what fruit is. I had thought that being outside with space to roam would be irresistible but they spend a majority of their time hiding inside the hen house.
I have been taking everything very slowly. I'll go out and sit by their run and talk to them. When I feed them or change their water and bedding, I go slowly and try to talk to them in what I hope is a soothing tone. But if I move too much, they get frightened. We are not even close to attempting to get them to take a treat out of my palm. In fact, hands scare them. Too much movement scares them.
I just want to know I'm not doing anything to traumatize them further. We have 20 acres out here and it is very quiet and peaceful. But it is summer and we are in the south (Kentucky) and it has been very warm. Their house and run is in the shade under several trees. We live on a hill so there is always a great breeze. But it has been hot and I'm worried they'll get heat stroke from hiding inside the hen house which does get warmer than the outdoors.
I'm sure everything will calm down once they get used to me and our routine. (I hope) Does anyone have advice about how to proceed? I know there must be people here who have rescued chickens or gotten some from the Humane Society who were traumatized. Never in my life did I expect to get chickens who were afraid of the outdoors. I can shut the door to the hen house and force them to stay outside but I'm not sure if this is even close to a good idea.
They're my girls, I love them and I want to do the best thing for them. Any suggestions?
Thank you.
My neighbor insisted on giving me 4 hens and since he is awesome and cut our hay for us, I put aside my dreams of Rhode Island Reds. Two days ago he brought my four girls over and I love them dearly, but they are not what I expected at all. I had never seen his chicken set-up and didn't realize that he raises his chickens in cages (spacious) and that they never go out unless he's cleaning the hen house. Also he never holds them and touches them much at all, so they are completely unused to people.
I have a fairly spacious coop with a fenced run inside another, larger fenced pen. My poor girls are completely freaked out. They don't know what perches are since all his chicken cages have flat bottoms. They are frightened of people. They've never been fed anything but scratch mix and they don't know what fruit is. I had thought that being outside with space to roam would be irresistible but they spend a majority of their time hiding inside the hen house.
I have been taking everything very slowly. I'll go out and sit by their run and talk to them. When I feed them or change their water and bedding, I go slowly and try to talk to them in what I hope is a soothing tone. But if I move too much, they get frightened. We are not even close to attempting to get them to take a treat out of my palm. In fact, hands scare them. Too much movement scares them.
I just want to know I'm not doing anything to traumatize them further. We have 20 acres out here and it is very quiet and peaceful. But it is summer and we are in the south (Kentucky) and it has been very warm. Their house and run is in the shade under several trees. We live on a hill so there is always a great breeze. But it has been hot and I'm worried they'll get heat stroke from hiding inside the hen house which does get warmer than the outdoors.
I'm sure everything will calm down once they get used to me and our routine. (I hope) Does anyone have advice about how to proceed? I know there must be people here who have rescued chickens or gotten some from the Humane Society who were traumatized. Never in my life did I expect to get chickens who were afraid of the outdoors. I can shut the door to the hen house and force them to stay outside but I'm not sure if this is even close to a good idea.
They're my girls, I love them and I want to do the best thing for them. Any suggestions?
Thank you.