CurvyCoop
Songster
I have 6 lovely hens and one accidental roo (but I love him all the same). I've had them for about 2 months now. I know that you can wait until dusk to grab a chicken to check it for anything, but I want to know how to train them to be okay with it during the day. Both for health and safety reasons, but also because I want to be able to grab my chooks without it being so stressful for them.
They are already quite relaxed around me in general. They will come up to see if I have food and they greet me when they see me. They also come RUNNING when I use my special treat call. They have NO problem eating treats from my hand and a few of them I can even lure up to my lap with treats this way. But all of them freak out at being grabbed.
Once they are held it's fine and I try to give them all regular lap time. They wriggle a bit the first 30 seconds or so but then they settle and are quite content to be pet. I think it's mostly me reaching for them and the initial contact that freaks them out.
How can I train them to be ok with me reaching for them?
They are already quite relaxed around me in general. They will come up to see if I have food and they greet me when they see me. They also come RUNNING when I use my special treat call. They have NO problem eating treats from my hand and a few of them I can even lure up to my lap with treats this way. But all of them freak out at being grabbed.
Once they are held it's fine and I try to give them all regular lap time. They wriggle a bit the first 30 seconds or so but then they settle and are quite content to be pet. I think it's mostly me reaching for them and the initial contact that freaks them out.
How can I train them to be ok with me reaching for them?