My chicken hates me

[CamdenLab]

I found that they hate it when something is above them. My friends would come over and stand above them or try to come at them from above and I would have to explain about coming to their level which always worked. I have one silkie that loves attention and one who does not. Some of my chickens are mellow and some are scary cats. It takes time and as they get older it does get better. Just be patient, don't try to get them to trust you and then grab at them, and do bribe them with treats!

 

[balbrt1]

Thanks everyone for all of your advice and encourage. I will keep trying.

 

[Chikenbutwut]

I found that they hate it when something is above them. My friends would come over and stand above them or try to come at them from above and I would have to explain about coming to their level which always worked. I have one silkie that loves attention and one who does not. Some of my chickens are mellow and some are scary cats. It takes time and as they get older it does get better. Just be patient, don't try to get them to trust you and then grab at them, and do bribe them with treats!

Yep, I found that out too. It was suggested by a internet friend on here (gg706) that putting them in something like a dog crate, where you don't have to reach over them, helps. The post is here...the first one on this page... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/638802/your-thoughts-on-having-tame-chicks/30 It's a great post 'cause she talks about the different behavior of chicks in a regular brooder, where you have to reach in from the top, and a brooder where you don't. The chicks where you didn't have to reach in from the top turned out a lot friendlier compared to the ones where you did.

I have a lot of chicks so I have them in one of my bath tubs right now and they all scatter if a hand is reached in, even if it's reached in slowly. It doesn't help that one of the chicks is kind of a head case, lol, and it flaps around and gets all the other chicks riled up. Because of this I've decided to try the crate thing. I have a large dog crate - the kind that is solid all the way around - and have a large wire one. Took both crates apart and rigged it up to where part of the wire one is on top of part of the solid one. Covered the wire crate in screen to keep out kitty paws, and have it to where part of the top can be folded over for easier cleaning (chose screen 'cause it can be folded over when need be). Took the door of the wire crate and attached it to the part of the solid one so I have a door for the brooder and covered that in screen too. Attached the wire crate to the solid one with zip ties.

You don't have to go through all the trouble I did, lol, but if you have a dog crate or something you could use to where you don't have to reach your hands over the chicks, that may help.

If you can't do that, maybe reaching your hand in slowly and then coming at them sideways to pick them up may help. Like suggested, try different treats with them to see what they like best. I boiled a couple of eggs, mashed them up, and gave it to mine the other day. Some liked it, some didn't. The ones that liked it were a hoot though. They'd grab a piece and run across the brooder away from the other chicks like "Mine, mine!,"

Hope this helps and good luck to ya.

 

[azygous]

Don't give up on your Serama pullet! It's just been one week that you've had her, so she hasn't learned to trust you yet. it takes time!

Start slowly and don't push her. Respect her if she won't come to you, but keep offering her treats from your hand. If she won't take treats of any kind, then let her get hungry and offer her layer feed from your hand. She will eventually get hungry enough to come eat from your hand.

I had a very skittish rooster I tamed in this way. He would have a melt down if I so much as tried to even touch him. I let him get hungry and made him eat from my hand when he got hungry. It was the only way he was going to get food. After a week of eating from my hand, I began to pet him as he ate, and after a week of that, he began to allow me to pick him up, but I had to do it very slowly. No sudden movements. The idea behind this program was to teach him that good things came from my hands, not bad things, and he didn't have to be afraid of being touched.

Perhaps your Serama is just very shy and you need to work with her to gain her trust. It doesn't happen over night. It took me several months. But it was worth it. Chickens have very different personalities and temperaments. This Serama may never be real affectionate, but some of your other younger ones may turn out to be the affectionate pets you crave.

 

[DLV58]

Hi, I don't think your Serama knows who you are yet, give her some time to adjust.
My 4.5 wk old chicks recognize me now and are more friendly. My 1.5 wk old chicks are
still very scared of me. So it takes time for them to learn trust..

 

[3ChickensNADuck]

Hate them back those spoiled chickens! Jk,, once they start laying they become a lot friendlier. It just takes time patience and a lot of treats and the birds will like you.

 

[LTygress]

I'd like to know what kind of treats you're feeding them. In my experience, the treats need to be ALIVE and moving, for them to think about approaching you for it. Mealworms always work best for me. Things that just sit there like corn, fresh veggies, a special "treat" feed or even the freeze-dried mealworms, don't work for me.

When they see it moving, I start by sitting on the ground (with chicks, I'll have them in an exercise pen and sit in the pen with them). Then I toss a few towards them so they can get it off of the ground themselves. They see it moving, pick it up, and realize how tasty it is. If one of my chickens is free-range, I'll toss it closer and closer to myself until I have them almost at arm's reach. Then I'll offer it, but leave it in my hand. Sometimes I'll look away so they don't think I'm watching them (many, MANY animals consider it a threat to stare at them). Eventually, they get SO interested in the movement, they forget that there is a person's hand holding it out, and they snatch it right up. If they are in an exercise pen, I'll sit indian-style, and possibly place one or two on my knees where they can see it.

But the difference always seems to be the movement of the bugs that I offer. Since I raise my own mealworms, I'll also offer the beetles sometimes (which move faster). And every once in a while - just because it's comical to watch - I'll bring home about 100 crickets from the bait shop and let them go in front of my chickens. When they start chasing crickets, they'll mistakenly run RIGHT past you without a second thought, and that sure helps them to be comfortable around you!


There is one more trick for the grown chickens that I don't intend on, but it works. Whenever I have a sick or injured chicken (which I happen to have a bantam laying on my bed right behind me as I type this), I bring them inside and they get LOTS AND LOTS of holding, petting, and treats upon treats upon treats! I just hold them gently up against my chest like I would any animal, and carry them around the house. I don't hurt them, don't poke and prod at them the entire time, I just carry them. Sometimes I'll offer them treats while they are in my hand. If they take interest but don't eat it, I'll set them down and let them gobble it up. Then I pick them back up, and off we go again with another mealworm. I do have some fighters, but they ALL settle down when they are in a new environment (inside the house) and realize they're getting all of these treats! And this usually lasts for about 3-4 days, depending on the issue.

By the time they go back outside, I usually can't shake them!


ETA: One more thing I forgot about. I am used to handling horses who take verbal commands, so I tend to use that with my chickens too. I have a sound for "move out of my way/shoo" (which is like ttssss) and one for calling them to me for whatever reason (usually flipping a log, and it's a finger-snap). I also have a sound for feeding them (soft tongue-click), and a sound just for hand-fed treats (a cooing sound).

Once they learn to associate those sounds with what you're doing, they'll probably run to you every time they hear it. It works a lot like a dog learning to do the right thing by anticipating the sound of a clicker.

 

[3ChickensNADuck]

Yea, I use to give my birds live crickets, worms, etc. but now I just grab a cup of there normal feed pellets or mash and just hold it out. To lazy to go to the store to buy crickets. They usually come running. Moving things do attract them more but it all depends what they want that day. Sometimes I'll grab a vine that's growing in my backyard and they go crazy for the leaves. Something that helps is to bend or sit at there level. What I found more entertaining is to give them messy leftovers. Like old mashed potato/gravy. Was kind of funny to see them take a beak full to find out it's soft food. And the mess they make on there beaks. Plus that like the stuff so win win.

In case you're wondering my birds always have access to there layers pellets mash and free range. Come to think of it, I don't know why my birds follow or run up to me all the time when they have the option of getting it themselves. I always pick them up and sometimes toss them in the air or put them in trees which a lot of people say not to do on this site but my birds seem to like it? I think the main thing is have fun with your chickens and they'll have fun and like you.

Btw, have you ever tried to stop a chicken from bopping it's head when it walks?

 

[animal madd]

Depending on age but if you have them on the grass pretend to scratch around like there mum does they will come scratch with you my 7 lomen browns were hand rasied in a simple cage with a light we have lots pythones here so I checked them very offten even though was snake proof cage so they are now 7 weeks and bloody tame all I did was give them there food and water and as treat little bit wet bread not to much as it gives them scores (the runs) everytime did anything with them id try least patting them all now they are in big chook pen free range on 9 acres and they run to me and also few grasshopper and worm treats dont give up they will come around

 

[appps]

Well you have the best cure already. Time
Just spend lots and lots of time sitting with them. I used to take a chair and a cuppa into the run every morning. They do get used to your presence and that's step 1.

Then get yourself some black sunflower seeds from the feed store. Take a handful in each day and throw them to them a few at a time.
When after a few days they work out you in the chair means sunflower seeds go on to step 3.

Step 3 is just hold your hand out with the seeds on it and make them come to you.
Before you know it their love of sunflower seeds will have overwritten any fear they may have had.