How to raise friendly chicks?

[centrarchid]

A little over an hour into the effort and Peck allows me to bend down over him and pick something up within inches of him. He does not even offer to step aside. He is also directing contact calls at me.

 

[centrarchid]

After interacting with chick for about 4 hours is now jumps up to my shoulder as I sit at my desk where the bird settles down to sleep, preen and even allopreen. It is now tamed. Training can now begin in earnest.

 

[Butterflygirl50]

Hmm.

Wait for adult hood, most chickens will calm down and go back to being human-friendly if they were as a chick.

That wouldn't make sense. My neighbors kids are playing with there's while I'm super to tell my kids hands off for a year or two? What's the point.

 

[Butterflygirl50]

After interacting with chick for about 4 hours is now jumps up to my shoulder as I sit at my desk where the bird settles down to sleep, preen and even allopreen. It is now tamed. Training can now begin in earnest.

Oh I've been trying. I have more scratched and cuts.
I could sit there for days and they wouldn't approach.

I guess I'm just unlucky and not meant to own chicks?

I don't know anymore.

 

[Butterflygirl50]

I had 3 chicks that I handled several times a day, gave tons of treats to, and they're still pretty much impossible to catch and my most unfriendly birds, BUT they are high egg producing chicken breeds (Sexlink, RIR, and an Amber white)... Maybe that plays some part in their personality, idk.

Then I followed them up with 3 more day old chicks: a barred rock, a welsummer, and a Blue laced red wyandotte that ended up being a rooster. I handled them several times a day (the little rooster would nestle down in my hand and sleep) and gave them lots of treats (even though they were not impressed with treats) and they're only marginally more friendly than my first batch.

My last batch were already four-weeks old when I got them: an orpington, a silver laced wyandotte, a cuckoo maran, and an easter egger. I didn't have them from day one and I didn't handle them hardly at all... They are 8 weeks now and the friendliest birds ever. A dream come true for me. They let me hold them and pet their little faces. When the bigger chickens pick on them they run to me and jump on my lap. The EE is the absolute friendliest.

My take on the whole thing is that it mostly comes down to the individual personality of the chicken. I don't know if there's any way to alter that. I mean, sure I used food to show them that I'm not scary and that I bring the good stuff, but that's the most I can do.

I did read that when they mature they become more docile. I'm hoping that's true. It may not help my RIR who freaks the hell out if you put a finger on her, but hopefully the rest will calm down and warm up to me a bit more.

I have Silkies - know for their friendly nature, docile, great with kids. Ah not mine.

 

[BlueShadow]

I work with taming chickens a lot. A few are tamed and trained to the point where even when taken to public events they well come to me or whomever calls, even with people the chickens do not know. This pattern even holds during the teenager weeks (juvenile stage). The balance of my birds are tame enough to allow handling on almost a daily basis.

When something they do not like and is associated with me occurs, they get wary. I am confident that is occurring on your end. For some reason the silkies regard you as a threat. The grabbing, possibly chasing, direct gaze, looking down on them, and touching them from above can all be taken as acts of aggression by chickens. I avoid doing those things when practical.

My suggestion is find a way to sit down quietly at their level and do something that does not center your attention on the chickens. I read a books, work at computer, or have a pair of binoculars out to observe wildlife. Then have a container of LIVE meal worms. After birds get used to seeing you sitting quitly, occasionally toss out A single meal worm close enough so the birds can see it and feel comfortable going after it. After repeating a few times the birds will start to approach you timidly. Make them come closer over time to get the meal worms. They will figure out when you are getting the meal worms out of the can and get excited. It is will not take long before they will take the meal worms from your hand. Then you work on getting them to get up on your leg. You may want to wear jeans for that part. Then start working on getting them to jump up into your hand.

USE LIVE MEAL WORMS DURING START OF THIS. Make certain someone is not tormenting birds when your are not watching. I have seen the tormenting problem mess up taming / training efforts.

See videos of how I like tamed birds to approach. My birds fly a lot but that is not essential for what you want yours to do. Also most of mine are games. The same crowd that think silkies are very tame also think games are flighty.

This is neat. What are you doing with your birds that you do all this taming?

 

[Crooked Chicken]

I handled all of mine (12 chicks) a lot the first few months. I took them outside everyday in a tall laundry basket and would return them to the house the same way for at least 2 months. When they got older they would bring themselves to the back door and into the kitchen, but if I was in a big hurry I'd gather them in the basket. Funny how calm and quiet they would get once in the basket.

Now that they've been outdoors and in their coop a couple of months, they are less attached to us. They do still come up and peck your feet, legs or rearend if your sitting on a chair in the yard. When I take them special treats such as fresh fruit, veggies, etc. I yell out "goodies!" and they come running. I still pick them all up on occasion and give them a good head and neck massage. Some of them have to be cornered if in the yard, but if they are in the coop they are super easy to pick up.

 

[centrarchid]

This is neat. What are you doing with your birds that you do all this taming?

See link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ambassadors-for-the-farm.407880/#post-4947275

 

[centrarchid]

I have Silkies - know for their friendly nature, docile, great with kids. Ah not mine.

The problem is on your end which is generally easiest to fix. Step back and relax. Get into mindset of having silkies comes to you. Consider restricting access of others until silkies start coming around.

 

[as110]

I squat after I feed them. They stay around me while they pick up seeds. IF they are close enough I try to touch them slowly, but I do not force or chase them. The ones that want to move away can, and some I manage to touch on their backs or tails. I copy the sounds they make. If they sound scared, I answer back the same way as if to say I empathize with them. When they are just talking or wondering, I quaa quaa back. Not all of them like to be touched, but I can always manage once they are roosting. Maybe try touching when they are already roosting, or feed them from a cup or bowl so they know you are in control of the food.
I am not sure what your goal is as far as children playing with chickens/hens. They really never play in the sense kids want to play and most won't sit on the lap for petting.