It makes me feel sad on the inside

[SheeReno]

Hey all we're raising some baby chicks currently, we only have two but they're very well cared for. We got them from a pet store, and were told they were 7-10 days old, and we've had them for a week now. They always followed us around and would hop on a show if they were free and we were motionless. They would run into a hand and LOVE to be petted, but we think that was out of wanting to be warm. Now they still follow us but shy away from touch. A lot of times they FREAK out if they are picked up, but still seem to like some petting. It's really strange. Anyway, any help or insight would eb great, because I have this fear that the two of them are slowly turning on me as they become more self-sufficient.

 

[babyspice35]

One of my babies used to fly up on my shoulder... it was really cute. But once he started going outside and the older he gets the more skittish he is. He still likes to be held but I have to chase him around a bit first.

I think you just have to make sure, like you would with any animal, that they're used to you being around and that you are there to help them - not hurt them

 

[chicken_queen_tam]

I think a lot of it has to do with the breed they are, whether you can make a pet "baby" out of them or not. Some breeds of chickens are really flighty, nervous, and scare easy. Other breeds are mellow and laid back. A month or so ago I had two of my buff orps left,(possum) got one a couple weeks ago.

When we got the BO's they were already a couple months old, but within a few days you could pick them up and carry them around and within a week or so you had to wait til they weren't looking before you could come in the back door. They would try to follow me in.

In my opinion, if you want to make a good pet try to get a docile breed ,orps,australops,light brahmas to name a few. I don't know about the smaller bantam chickens, most of those that I have had are kinda flighty.
Tammy

 

[elmo]

Try not to take it personally; your chickens are not really "turning on you." They're growing up, and they're birds, not dogs. It's rare to find an individual bird that likes to be petted, it's usually just not in their nature.

Chickens are extremely food motivated, however. If all of your interactions with your birds involve treats they like (mealworms, for example), you'll be amazed how popular you'll become.

 

[SheeReno]

Very cool. I figured it was just them growing up some but I'd rather just be sure. Thanks for all the help!

 

[SheeReno]

As an update, the one that was VERY jittery has calmed down some, which shows progress. We obviously haven't been implementing the "worm theory" very long but it's working. Every now and again we still wonder what that one chick is thinking about, juuuust a little off at times.

Still, they're doing very well!