How do you get 14 week old pullets to like you?

[PepsNick]

My 5 hens are kind of afraid of me... everytime I walk by they scatter! It's so hard to hold them, I have to chase them all around the run. How do I get them to get used to me? Again, they're 14 weeks and I've had some of them for 1 1/2 months and some for 3 weeks. I did NOT raise them as chicks. Please help!

Nicholas

 

[texasgal]

Treats! Find something they like .. bring it to them and leave ..

Pretty soon they will get excited to see you coming .. then sit and put the food in front of you .. they will have to come up to get the treat ..

Then when they get comfortable with that .. offer food to them by hand .. gradually moving your hand closer to your body ..

They'll soon be mauling you for TREATS!!

 

[PepsNick]

Great! Thanks-- I'll try it out.

 

[orionburn]

It's frustrating, isn't it? Some of our pullets are ok, others run for the hills. My girlfriend always says "you dumb-dumbs have only seen us every day of your life so quit being afraid!"

 

[PepsNick]

haha... dumb dumbs

 

[patman75]

Quote:
Ditto

 

[sparkles2307]

I have too many chooks to give them all attention, so they are on the shy side, but if they see me coming with a bucket, or their favorite orange tennis shoes on, oh boy they are my best friends!

 

[chickerdoodle]

Yep, treats! Figure out their favorites and bring them daily--not too much just enough for them all to get a taste.

This makes it more exciting to get to you as they don't want to miss the treat!
We did raise ours from chicks and when I step out in the yard they come-a- runnin' like a herd of buffaloes

Yee ha!

 

[kannna]

Well the thing is you get them treat trained they come runnin and you think "hey this is great!" Then you lean in to pet or pick up and then they bolt.

But they'll come back for a treat.

And then it happens all over again.

What we have figured out is that the dh will hold the raisin and I'll swoop in to pick up. Once they are being held they are calm and even make a little purring noise. It's the getting them up that's the challenge. Maybe when they aren't teenagers they'll calm down a bit.

 

[2DogsFarm]

Maturity - theirs not yours

They just need to grow up and realize you are a Good Part of their world.

My girls turned 1 in March and this Summer they are my BPFF (Best Poultry Friends Forever).

When they were the same age as yours I was the Hand of Death as far as they were concerned.
I was allowed in the coop, but if I reached for one it was RUN AWAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

Treats helped convince them, but mostly it was just time.