Just got chickens!

[Loulabelle223]

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could tell me how to get your chickens to like you?

My chicks are 5 weeks and everytime i go in to their Mcmansion they run away from me.
And they wont use the ramp that leads to their nesting boxes, the ramp isnt that steep.
I thought chickens would be easy to look after but not when they are like this.

 

[spartacus_63]

Don't worry about the birds not using the ramp. They are to young to be nesting at 5 weeks. They may go to the nest boxes out of curiosity, but they won't start nesting til around 7-9 months depending on the breed. As for getting your birds to like you; I must admit I laughed out loud when I read that. The best way to get the birds to not be "chickens" is to buy about 5000 live meal worms and invite the birds to a picnic with you & the worms. The DW & I refer to meal worms as "Chicken Crack". It may take a bit of time until the girls get over being "chickens", but with a little patients, they will soon be climbing over each other to get next to you. If you have repeated picnics, the girls will start greeting you at the door. Use caution though, some of these, T-rex descendants can bite pretty hard.

 

[Loulabelle223]

Well, i knew that they wouldnt start laying till then. just with all the foxes around i want them to be safe
inside their Mcmansion.

 

[greymane]

 

[Kevin565]

 

[spartacus_63]

When you said ramp to the nest boxes, were you meaning into the McMansion? If that is the case, put your girls in the coop at night and they will soon take to going in their on their own. If it was in fact that they do not go to the nest boxes, I would not encourage the young birds to hang out in the nest boxes because some will take to sleeping in them. This is a HARD habit to break and where birds sleep, they poop...and this leads to dirty eggs.
I also added an extra "0" on the meal worms. 500 is plenty for a chicken picnic.

 

[dreamer5577]

Hi && Welcome!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

I hand-feed my chicks right from the start, chick feed at first then scratch grain and treats as they get older. They come a-runnin when they hear the grain container shaken.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad you joined. Good luck.