How do you make your chickens more comfortable with you?

[Peeps61]

I don't give them grit with the meal worms. My chicks are outside now, so they get plenty of grit on their own by eating things from the ground. My hens (not the chicks yet - too young and just moved out to the tractor) free range for part of the day, so they don't ever get grit. I read on this site that if the birds are outdoors and have access to soil, grass or other media, that they get enough grit through those things and added grit is not necessary. I've never had any problems with them.

 

[helenbk1966]

Time time time. We spent a lot of time hanging out with the first 4. I brought them cracked corn (chicken crack) every time I came out. Now we can't get them off us. If I turn my body to drop them off a shoulder they just dig their little claws in deeper and hang on.

 

[Jules Hardy]

I'm the one, the ONLY one that brings them all the treats. They don't get them all the time but when they do, they know they come from me! Also I pick them up and cuddle them all the time, they love it, if I'm sitting in the garden they'll step onto my lap and let me hold them and sometimes even fall asleep being stroked..

 

[kelsey1590]

Hey Sarah/Mountain Peeps! I love buff orpingtons too, and Jesus! This is a little weird wording but we should be friends I just got chickens btw and it would be cool if you could reply Oh my name's Kelsey.

 

[Howlet]

i have 1 light brahma
bantam 3 easter eggers and 1 black cochin
bantam the black cochin lets me pick her up with no problem but the others HATE being picked up what should i do????????

 

[NestingBoxMom]

FYI...when I feed mine by hand some of them get a little "aggressive" and grab fingers and hand parts as well! Doesn't hurt, but is a bit startling. It is still a work in progress! mine love Happy Hen treats (red bag I get at Farm & Fleet. I also go in at night when I put them away for the night and make a point on calling each by name and petting them each as I do the head count. They are more subdued at this time of day so I can lay hands on them without causing as much anxiety.

 

[ceceuu]

i have 1 light brahma
bantam 3 easter eggers and 1 black cochin
bantam the black cochin lets me pick her up with no problem but the others HATE being picked up what should i do????????

I have 8 chickens and seven different varieties. My Light Brahma doesn't like being picked up at all. So when I go in the roost at night I pick her up and pet her. It seems to be helping a little bit. The Easter Egger wasn't friendly at all but just this week she started squatting and is becoming super friendly. She sits next to me, talk and talk. The LB's comb has been red for a long time but she is not squatting - I heard they mature la bit more slowly so I'm thinking she may be one of the last to lay. They are 22-23 weeks old and I think four to five of them are laying. The two that aren't squatting yet are the Gold Laced Wyandotte and one of the two Opingtons (the other is laying) and the LB. They are the least friendly of the chickens. One of the BO was friendly when younger and isn't now (she is the one not squatting). The BO that is laying now was pretty stand offish and now she is very friendly. I think if you follow the advice of all of our BYC fellows t hey will be friendly. Treats, spending time, picking them up without chasing them. They'll come around.

 

[helenbk1966]

Just keep doing it. Our biggest EE hated it too. I just persisted and moved very slowly around her. Treats in the hand worked sometimes but mostly I treated it like any other thing you want your pets to let you do. Just do it and do it and do it until they give up and resign themselves to being handled. she is now very friendly and loved to hop on the minute we come in. Never mind that she just wants to pull your hair or see f your ears are tasty.

 

[oldbird53]

Great job at telling how to befriend your chickens. Well done. I like to do that when someone is watching because its so fun to watch some one should get to see. Its like talking chicken. I had two hens that I hand fed at least once day and eveintially a Rooster too. They came to me as adults. One hen took the food gently and the other tried to take off a finger every time. So I fed my gentle hen and the other one stole it out of her mouth. A hawk took my nice hen so all I had to gently feed was a shy rooster. I took me a week to teach that hen that I would no longer feed her and she had to wait til Brewster handed it to her.

 

[Peeps61]

Ha ha! My chickens are like my school children. If I have something, the whole flock will run after me across the yard. They may come when others call them, but come right away when I call. My husband says it looks like I am at recess with a class of birds. I am a teacher, by the way!