how do you tame a chicken?

[jf1234]

How!
My 22 weeks old welsummers are terrified of me!! They never allow me closer than 2/3 feet.

How do you begin to tame them, I would love to be able to pick them up for a cuddle, without any stress.

I am able to pick them up only when they are in their pen and I can gently hold a leg and lift them up, I do this everyday, to try and get them use to me.
They do sit quietly on my knee while I strock them, but I always need to hold them.

Has any one ideas on now to earn their trust. I also hand feed them treats, with one of my girls eating out of my hand.

I know they are young and I have only had them for 3 weeks, I'm a little impatience I guess, do they just need more time? or do I?

Anyone with Ideas please

Jayne

 

[oesdog]

The more you handle them the better they will be. Don't be frightened to just go in there and pick one up. Make sure you hold it firmly but not to tight and make sure the wings are secure and not flapping. Make sure you have nice treats with you so they know when they see you and get petted it is a good thing! You have only had them a short time be patient and get to know them and they will learn to trust you. Eventually they will come as soon as they see you and follow you round for treats. You will notice each one will have a different personality! They really do!

I always touch mine everyday. I stroke them at bedtime a lot as this is when they are calmer and on the roost. This is a good time to get close to them. DO lift them everyday and stroke them as much as possible. Some folk say blowing your warm breath into the feathers on the back of their neck calms them. They do make great pets!

Oesdog - enjoy

 

[jf1234]

Thanksfor the speedy reply,

I'll keep up the holding, and I'll try the warm breath on their
necks tomorrow, they are now both tucked up in bed (nest box) for the night.
Any ideas for different treats, I use bread at the moment, but I'd like a bit more variety!

Jayne

 

[Break an Egg]

Mine love treats and the more you come outside with a handfull of grapes or some leftover spagehtti, the more they will come up to you when you are outside with them.

 

[gavinandallison]

We are new to chickens, have 5 Barred Rocks which are now 9 weeks old. From when we got them - 4 days old - we have handled them. Now they live outside we take treats outto them - scratch or tomatoes which they love - and we sit in the run. They come to us, originally a little cautious, but now as we go to them we call out and they come running. Once in the run we sit down, they eat from our hands and even climb up and either sit on our shoulders, arms, head or laps. We NEVER place our hands down on top of them as this is a sign of a predator, back place our hands so they can see them and scopp them up with their legs between 1st and middle finger. No fuss or complaints now, they love being picked up.

A good example to watch is go to the Martha Stewart website, go to Archives and look for April's show on chickens. Everyone in the show's audience had a chicken ontheir laps! So it can be done!!

For treats try Nightcrawlers (giant earthworms), mealworms, or maggots used for fishing. We also give them tomatoes and green bell peppers.