Forgot to say... Your nice hen who doesn't mind being held is being watched by the others, so you can use her as an example, and a teacher. Chances are it's working that way whether you're doing it deliberately or not. I found, after years of getting in basically wild chickens and taming them, that having tame chooks act as an example is at least half the job done. They don't need a predator to attack them to learn that such an animal kills chickens, they learn after watching it kill other chooks. The same premise works here. If they're not seeing you harming them, they will come to view you as a non-threat. For this reason it's important for them all, not just the ones you're handling at the time, that you ensure they don't struggle as you release them.
I had some hens once, two years old when I got them, which had come from some extremely traumatic conditions, and were terrified of humans beyond the point of retaining any sense of self preservation in their attempts to escape the human touch. You couldn't walk within 20 feet of their cage before they were screaming and smashing themselves into the walls. I've never seen chooks so scared before or since. I let them take their time to come to know people, expecting they'd take longer due to their history and age, but as I've since seen happen many times, they observed the social situation and took it in their stride. They changed and trusted people because the other chooks did. Animals are generally very good at reading intention.
Another thing that can help is touching them on the perch at night, and talking to them while you do. Depends on the chooks though, some chooks are very anti-touch at night and will lash out at anything that moves. Not too smart, those ones. Most will recognize you just fine though. I routinely check my chooks at night, partly due to pythons and partly to keep an easy eye on condition. I check their weight by touch, pet them, sometimes check abdomens and crops, stuff like that. It helps.
Given time to observe a good social situation before engaging, many chickens will adapt their own behaviors to it, in my experience. I'd make your nice hen a real star pupil if I were you, if they're watching chances are they're learning. It can take months before they act on it though. Not all are like that, not all will learn, but most will.
It's also possible/probable that your hens just need more time. As everyone's noted, plenty of hens do become spackier around point of lay or early adult life, most animals do. Overdose of hormones and instincts yelling at them does that.
Best wishes.
I had some hens once, two years old when I got them, which had come from some extremely traumatic conditions, and were terrified of humans beyond the point of retaining any sense of self preservation in their attempts to escape the human touch. You couldn't walk within 20 feet of their cage before they were screaming and smashing themselves into the walls. I've never seen chooks so scared before or since. I let them take their time to come to know people, expecting they'd take longer due to their history and age, but as I've since seen happen many times, they observed the social situation and took it in their stride. They changed and trusted people because the other chooks did. Animals are generally very good at reading intention.
Another thing that can help is touching them on the perch at night, and talking to them while you do. Depends on the chooks though, some chooks are very anti-touch at night and will lash out at anything that moves. Not too smart, those ones. Most will recognize you just fine though. I routinely check my chooks at night, partly due to pythons and partly to keep an easy eye on condition. I check their weight by touch, pet them, sometimes check abdomens and crops, stuff like that. It helps.
Given time to observe a good social situation before engaging, many chickens will adapt their own behaviors to it, in my experience. I'd make your nice hen a real star pupil if I were you, if they're watching chances are they're learning. It can take months before they act on it though. Not all are like that, not all will learn, but most will.
It's also possible/probable that your hens just need more time. As everyone's noted, plenty of hens do become spackier around point of lay or early adult life, most animals do. Overdose of hormones and instincts yelling at them does that.
Best wishes.
