Just full of questions! How to make my new "yearlings" love me

[IndigoJaguar]

I got some beautiful new Salmon Faverolles today! One rooster and three hens, but they are one year old already and never been handled really. HOW can I make them bond to me and become friendly? They freak when I hold them, especially the roo, and I am afraid to hold him.
I was SOOO ticked at the lady I got them from. If you are going to have birds, know how to treat them!!! There were at least seven of them in a 10x10 dog run with just a tarp on top. No other protection that I could see. Their water was FILTHY and they had to stick their heads thru the fence to drink it. I was POed!!! My babies have clean water nearly every day and a warm safe house to sleep in. I feed them treats and let them free range all day. People should have to take a test to see if they are fit to have animals!!!!!!!!

Ok. Off the soapbox now.

 

[AnaD]

Quote:
I agree! People should not just have animales willy nilly! They require dedication and respect. If you don't have time for your animals give them to someone who does!
As to your Q I think it just takes time and treats. They may not become lap chickens, but at least you will earn their trust to feed them and provide them with clean water and treats. I don't know why people want lap chickens and ducks. My only goal is to not have animals who fear me.

 

[WallTenters]

Funny, a friend and I were having the exact same convo today about people should have to take a test

... As far as making them love you, I'd say food is the secret!

 

[Mahonri]

Food/Healthy treats.

 

[elmo]

Are you quarantining your new birds to make sure they're disease and pest free? It might be a good idea since you know they weren't kept in the best conditions in their previous home.

The quarantine period is an excellent time for the new chickens to get used to you gradually, too. Every day spend some time with them, just quietly, offering treats...at first in a bowl near to you, later on from your hand. It shouldn't take too long for your new chickens to get to know you.

 

[midget_farms]

The birds will never want you to hold them. Just how it is now. BUT - if you feed them every time they see you for a couple weeks - they will come running when ever you are around.

I'm not one to hold my birds but I like them around. They follow me around the yard & inspect the work I'm doing. Its pretty cool.

But mine dont care to be held any more than I care to hold them.


As for your rooster. You need to establish yourself as the top hen in the house with him now or he may take advantage of you being afraid of him.

It doesn't take much - you need to grab him up by his feet & let him struggle. It should only last 30 seconds or so. Then you can put him down. Do this 1x per week for a month & he will never be agressive toward you.

If he does do something agressive - snatch him up by his feet. It wont take long for him to learn that mean behavior gets him upside down.

 

[IndigoJaguar]

I am quarantining them. I only hope it is far enough away. I have an open greenhouse a short ways from my chicken coop. I moved my electric netting to enclose both places, and then surrounded the greenhouse with chicken fencing. I'm going to split the netting down the middle to make sure they are separated, but I think I will just keep the newbies in the greenhouse and not let them out in their yard for a couple of weeks because if I let them in their yard, and my hens in theirs, only chicken wire will be separating them. From what I read on here, they shouldn't really breathe the same air for awhile. I am hoping for the best. I'm pumping the newbies full of supplements and good nutrition.
The hens seem to be pretty comfortable with me. They will not approach me, but they don't freak out. I haven't seen what the roo does. I have him enclosed in a separate cage while I work with him a few days.
Midget_farms.....I'm sure you are right about not "wanting" me to pick them up; my hens don't, but they do run to me for treats, and will let me touch them. I just wanted the newbies to be tame enough that I can catch them when I need to to look at them or clip their wings. My current hens will get near enough to me that I can grab them.
How do you hold a roo upside down without getting beaked?? He looks like he wants to peck me when I hold him; I can only imagine what he would do upside down! Maybe put on gloves?? I don't think I can catch him to do this once I let him out!!
Does anyone have experience with Salmon Faverolles?? I'm beginning to wonder what I have gotten myself into....or if the lady I got them from starved them!! The three hens have eaten more yesterday and today than my seven current hens eat in two or three days of being confined!! Are they always going to eat like this?? They act like they are STARVED!!

 

[gingerpeach22]

If your coop is big enough to let you go in to sit on the floor, hand feeding treats will have them coming close to you. Sprinkle scratch on your legs. Sit still and be quiet and very slow moving. One or two began to get onto my leg and eat from my hand. I did this every day & sat for quite awhile each time. After awhile, one got on my leg, preened her feathers and then hunkered down to rest. They all began to get the idea that this was/is a place of safety, warmth from my legs, and now they often fall asleep either on my legs or nearby.

 

[SourRoses]

One of the nice ladies on here, Noodlero, has a BYC page on chick taming - https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=55921

 

[BWKatz]

They go crazy over BOSS and mealy worms. I give mine a couple of handfuls of BOSS everyday and hand feed mealy worms once in a while. Actually they will jump 2 ft in air to get a worm .Then ur friends for life.