How do I get my babies to be friendly?

[Chick_a_dee]

Lmfao I also found it helped when they started doing the stomp dance, I just have to look at some of the hens and they start stompin' away, then you can pick them up and cuddle them.

 

[Ghostchick]

It seems to me that they all have personalities. I have 4 that seem to say "mamma mamma!" when I come around. The others just run away and hide. I am trying to spend more time with my skittish ones to see if they come around. My Black Australorps are shy, my Silver laced Wyandottes are agressive. Maybe its the breed also. I also heard don't chase, let them come to you with treats. They seem to get frazzled if you go after them! You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar!

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Mine are outside and are about 4 weeks old right now (gotta love the hot California weather...) What I do is I take a large zip tie and string some strawberries on it, frozen if it's hot outside, and attach it to hang the last strawberry above the ground about an inch. They love this game as they have to stretch and fly for the top ones. LOL it's super cute! Just be sure to attach it so there is no chance they will try to eat the zip tie. When they see me coming with this or with a hand full of anything, they run. At every other time though, they run. It's a process.

 

[MoTownChickie]

The strawberry idea is great, thanks for sharing it Lil Chickie Mama.

My kids are only a few days old, but this thread has given me some ideas on how to work with them so they don't see me as a monster.

I can't wait until they are older and I can give them grapes - my neighbor's hens adore grapes and I love watching them play keep away with them.

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Mine love grapes too! I just cut them in half since they look at it weird if it's whole. Once they get it pretty well ripped up and there's just a string of grape skin with the tiniest bit of grape pulp on it, one will invariably grab it and run (it looks like a worm hanging out of its mouth) and the others chase and steal until someone is able to swallow it down. Mine like apples too. I love watching them eat the apples especially since you can clearly see the little bite marks. Strawberries are the favorite though. It's kinda creepy when they're done, they look like they just tore into some poor animal with all the strawberry goop on their face. LOL

Just be wary, I mix in grit with the crumbles from week 1 on (that's when I got them). Know what your chicks can handle and if necessary, keep an eye on what their droppings look like. You can tell a lot from poo, gross but true.

 

[cmom]

Spend a lot of time with them and handle them. Take a stool, bucket, chair or something out to sit on with plenty of treats. Chickens are creatures of habit and like routine.

 

[jsanders]

I LOVE this forum!!! I was really concerned about the same thing as the first poster...my chicks hate me! Or they did.

I started thinking about it after reading this post this morning. I went out to change the water and fill the feeder and decided to try putting some feed in my hand and they climbed all over me. They love their daddy! Now

I am going to try yogurt and some cereal. kashi heart healthy should be ok, don't you think? I'm just not a small animal guy, I have big dogs, goats, Well...I did have hamsters when I was a kid. Hmmmm.

 

[Equus5O]

My girls are between 8 and 12 weeks (I think). They just came home not even a week ago.

I keep a stool out in the run. My 7 year old son picks each one up several times a day. The 2 Silkies are the most anti-social of the 8. The others are Leghorns, Red Stars, and Rhode Island Reds, with the Red Stars being the oldest and largest.

I'll bring them a treat at least once, maybe twice, a day. One is generally worms picked out of my compost tumbler. They weren't that impressed after the first time. I've also been bringing them chopped lettuce (we just haven't been eating our salad, lately!). Twice I've given them a slice of crumbled bread. I think they had fun with that.

Most of them will run up to the gate when they see us coming. They also try to escape when I'm taking the waterers out. I haven't let them out of the run, yet. In the run, most of them will reach with outstretched necks, and eat out of our hands. The Silkies just aren't that trusting.

I just try to spend time with them, when I can, and just sit there and talk to them.