How to tame untame chickens

[Lauren Kim]

I believe it works better when you've raised them since they were baby chicks. They spend more time with you can get used to you more.

 

[JasperMoon]

I agree with the above posts. Move slowly. I stop as soon as I enter the chicken shack, and speaking very softly I greet everyone. What is the breed? Some are far more "flighty" than others, i.e., they freak out more easily. If you cannot offer mealworms, offer them apples and hard boiled eggs. They will love them!

I handfed five chicks who were just a few weeks old some apples and boiled eggs several times. One day I offered lettuce instead. They stood in a semi-circle around the lettuce, and in complete unison they looked down at the lettuce briefly, and then they all looked right in my eyes. I could tell exactly what they were thinking; "Where's the apple; where's the egg?"

The greatest gift chickens have given me is the gift of learning to be gentle, slow and patient.

I guess they are leghorn mixes and one ee or americona thats what people have told me i have a thread on them

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

well it was a shed i guess and they splitted it in 2/3 and 1/3 the food, oyster shells, and bedding is in our part and you have to open an inner door to there part of it, theres a little hole in one wall big enough for the chickens to walk in and out of there run, the coop has 18 nesting boxes, a water thing, a automatic feeded (ive never seen them use it so i put the food onto the bed of the coop, the run is wide, not tall, and is compleatly coverd with Hardware canvas(or whatever its called) there are 6 chickens 1 rooster 5 hens

What are the dimensions of the 2/3 of the shed that the chickens sleep in? 18 nest boxes is excessive. You need 1 nest box for about every 3-4 hens. Depending if you plan to add more chickens to your flock and the size of the shed I’d say remove all but 4 nest boxes. Otherwise they might start sleeping in the vacant nestboxes if they haven’t already.

 

[JasperMoon]

What are the dimensions of the 2/3 of the shed that the chickens sleep in? 18 nest boxes is excessive. You need 1 nest box for about every 3-4 hens. Depending if you plan to add more chickens to your flock and the size of the shed I’d say remove all but 4 nest boxes. Otherwise they might start sleeping in the vacant nestboxes if they haven’t already.

i do not know that information, its decently sized, and would that be an issue, ive found eggs in each side we have 8 on one side and 10 on the other, they are stacked and we are planning on getting some broods,

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

i do not know that information, its decently sized, and would that be an issue, ive found eggs in each side we have 8 on one side and 10 on the other, they are stacked and we are planning on getting some broods,

It’s just that if you don’t have so many chickens then you should take down the 10 nest boxes on the one side and put roosts in that area instead. Also how are the 8 nest boxes on the other wall stacked? Just a thought but if you get day old chicks in the spring and hand raise them and they are very tame they will show the older chickens that you are not a predator.

 

[JasperMoon]

It’s just that if you don’t have so many chickens then you should take down the 10 nest boxes on the one side and put roosts in that area instead. Also how are the 8 nest boxes on the other wall stacked? Just a thought but if you get day old chicks in the spring and hand raise them and they are very tame they will show the older chickens that you are not a predator.

they have 4 on the botton and 4 on top, and alright ill let my dad know

 

[Eggsakly]

It depends who is going to be caring for them. The chickens I had belonged to me and I was the one who took are of them. They recognized my parents and my 2 sisters but they would come running to me. I think first get them used to you. Once you are able to touch them and hold them you can then let your family members give them treats and the chickens will realize that your family is not a threat.

I agree. My chickens are literally all over me - in my lap, on my feet, on my shoulder, but if my neighbors are visiting, the chickens avoid them completely. Ironically, even though a couple of my chickens love to be on me, and the rest love to be touching me, they don't like me to touch them. (Sometimes they do learn to love belly rubs and such, however.) The chickens would be less stressed by one person than by many.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

they have 4 on the botton and 4 on top, and alright ill let my dad know

That’s a good set up. Can you post some pictures of the whole chicken set up? The run, coop, nestboxes, etc. everything?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I agree. My chickens are literally all over me - in my lap, on my feet, on my shoulder, but if my neighbors are visiting, the chickens avoid them completely. Ironically, even though a couple of my chickens love to be on me, and the rest love to be touching me, they don't like me to touch them. (Sometimes they do learn to love belly rubs and such, however.) The chickens would be less stressed by one person than by many.

My chickens would come running when my parents or sisters would have treats but they wouldn’t let them touch them.

 

[Eggsakly]

I guess they are leghorn mixes and one ee or americona thats what people have told me i have a thread on them

The leghorn is considered a flighty chicken, but the EE/Ameracauna are usually pretty docile and friendly. My first chickens were EEs, and they were sweet and easy to handle.

I would follow the advice here, be slow and gentle in all your movements, speak gently when around them, and offer good treats (bread is not good, they need better nutrition than that). Don't have a lot of people coming and going.

And, when you can, as other posters suggested, just sit with them. Watch them. They will learn to trust. Chickens, unlike mammals that are raised from babies, don't usually become friendly or even somewhat tame until they are older and know and trust their human. My favorite chickens were over six months old before they wanted on my lap, and I raised them from hatchlings.

Good luck, and let us know your progress.