How to tame your chickens

[CrazyChookLady5]

persevere, if they struggle when you hold them, dont let them down until they stop-then give them a treat, I only have 3, a sussex, calder ranger and rhode rock and they are all very tame and will fly up onto my lap if I sit out there with a coffee.

so should i do this at night time or just when ever??

 

[Percheron chick]

To tame your birds first spend time with them but don't upset them and always try to feed them
from your hand good stuff like cooked rice or cooked vegetables or stand close to the food after
you have put out the feed for the day but the best time to start is early in age but it sounds like
you passed up this opportunity already so now try the next best thing when it is time to roost
this is when predators like to try their hand so when the evening starts go out and just touch
them to start and after awhile you might be able to pet them .......
last month I got three new genies all three months old and at first they kept their distance
but due to using the evening touch and feeding method I am getting closer every week I am
up to about six swipes before a complaint and to start they rain at every sight of me ,,,, but
what do I know I have lived long enough to have Grandchildren Graduate from High School
at the end of this year .....

gander007

I basically do it this same way. If they have already jumped on their roosts and are ready for bed, they will be quiet and much easier to deal with. Start with just touching them, progress to scratching for just a second or two BEFORE they start to squirm and protest. Prolong their torture a little bit every night. Let them tell you how fast to progress.

 

[skunknchatter]

1. Have your 3 year old son claim chicks as his own.
2. Allow said son to pet chicks every day.
3. As chicks get older allow son to carry them around in a cat carrier.
4. As chicks grow into pullets allow son to watch TV with chooks on his lap (poultry likes Curious George too)
5. Allow son to sit on the floor and eat dinner next to chooks also eating dinner.

 

[CrazyChookLady5]

1. Have your 3 year old son claim chicks as his own.
2. Allow said son to pet chicks every day.
3. As chicks get older allow son to carry them around in a cat carrier.
4. As chicks grow into pullets allow son to watch TV with chooks on his lap (poultry likes Curious George too)
5. Allow son to sit on the floor and eat dinner next to chooks also eating dinner.

haha is that what your son does??

 

[Cross Cottage]

when ever I guess-they wont really accept it until they are fully mature and accept you as the cockerl. I think the best you can expect from most is a tolerance-they seem to find it a minor anoyance at best , although one does seem to enjoy been held, especislly in the cold weather. I think its important to tame them so thst ehen you look them over for mites etc or clip their wings they don, t get stressed.
All the best cc.

 

[GD91]

First decide how tame - I tamed ours and now they are a disrespectful mob that love people to an overwhelming extent and race straight in through the back door lml

 

[gander007]

First decide how tame - I tamed ours and now they are a disrespectful mob that love people to an overwhelming extent and race straight in through the back door lml

I have three RIR hens who are just like this and I took them camping this last summer and now if I jet in the truck I have to check the back after leaving the yard as they
load up in the back just like the hunting dogs I had as a young man ............. Every chicken is different but once in a wile you get a clinger if you work with them .....
skunknchatter is correct I have a 2 1/2 year old gander who got hurt when he was young and spent several months in a cage in the shed where I work and have a T.V.
and after I released back in to the yard he would return if the door was open and just sit and watch the T.V. but would complain if the show did not have enough action ...

gander007

 

[Lee Nelson]

Hi Chloe, I started my own meal worm colony from an article I read here by Gallo Del Cielo. Then if you get a self-sustaining colony going, you have an endless supply of mealworms. It is actually quite fascinating to watch them. When they start twitching, I know it is time for more vegetable matter. Now a ton of beetles have hatched, so I know in a month or so, I will see another layer of mealworms. When I put egg shells into their cage, for some reason several will crawl into a shell and hang out together. I wonder if it is because my laundry room is cold and they are keeping each other warm???

 

[One Chick Two]

I thought this might be helpful for you to tame your chickens...
We have 85 chickens (16 roos and cockerels) OEGB, PRIR and Partridge Cochin. All are friendly and like attention in varying degrees. Sometimes they are too friendly- you bend over to pick something up, then a 10 lb roo lands on your head. lol

I think the key is to spend some time daily with chickens, even if it's just a bit. I spend time with ours a few times daily, but consistently. We purchased our OEGB pullets at point of lay, and they were fairly wild then and used to only being in a cage, but I tamed them in about 4 days, and now they will fly to me if I make hand motions. Chicken are very smart- they have long memories but short attention spans so they get bored easily.

Always be calm, act confident and sure, and talk friendly, in a relaxed manner. If I pick up a chicken I see that it is calm first, I always talk to them calmly while petting or holding them, and make sure the chicken is calm when it goes back down- very important to build trust. I don't feed them treats while giving attention because I believe ours get too stimulated by treats to be relaxed and enjoy. But, that's just my way of conditioning them. I want them to feel completely relaxed and safe while I am holding them- without distractions, so ours get treats at other times. Also, when things go wrong I don't want to have to be holding a treat for them to come to me.

If any chicken acts upset while being held, I gently guide their head near my right shoulder (so they can't peck me) and whisper near their ear, "shhh....shhh....it's okay...." as calmly as possibly, and stroke the round feather muff softly so their eye closes in a relaxed state. They always calm down quickly from this conditioning as they stop fussing to hear what I'm saying. This is why we can pick up any of our roos and cockerels and have them stay calm without flogging us with their wings or trying to get away. I tell them how handsome they are, and they seem to like that. lol

Just the day before Xmas eve, we had a vicious raven attack one of my favorite cockerels and poked his eye out! I ran to the bottom of the hill where our boy had ran to, and I whispered, "shhh....shhh....it's okay....shhh..." He didn't fight when I picked him up, but let me hold him resting his head on my shoulder, even though he was going into shock, moaning and trembling, but he didn't move. If we hadn't had trust built into our relationship, who knows how hard it would have been to catch him to treat his injuries?



It is completely worth the time and effort, especially when you realize your chickens look forward to seeing you too.

 

[ppearson2007]

Hi Overrun with Chickens,
I really appreciated your post! I am the proud new "Mom" of 6 baby cuckoo marans - My Rhode Island Red went broody and without a Cock around she wasn't going to get to be a Momma! so I bought the CM's and tucked them under her at night... what a surprise to awaken to a family! she's a really good Momma and I'm having so much fun with them. However, Momma does not like to be caught/handled (she was a rescue chicken) so she's teaching the little ones the same caution! I think your post will help me to get the ALL at least tolerant of handling. I have a 4 year old granddaughter who I know would like to be able to handle them, and I don't want her chasing them and stressing them out. I'll tell you how it goes! Thanks again!