My chickens are chicken

[Ricks Chicks]

I have had my RIR's since may. I am in there coop daily , I sit with them a lot, I feed them , give them treats. and as long as I am still they will come near me but as soon as I move to touch one they all scatter. if I stand up they scatter, if a bike go's by with loud pipes they scatter. Is it normal for my chickens to be such chickens?

 

[BowChickaBowMow]

I think that's where the name calling "you're a chicken" came from, isn't it?

We have a cute children's book that our family just LOVES to read... called "BIG Chickens" by Leslie Helakoski. It is soooo cute, about chickens being chickens throughout the story, and they end up being brave (by mishap) in the end.

Just my opinion, but yeah.. I think chickens are just well... chickens!

 

[cmom]

from another post

Quote:
I have Rhode Island Reds too. I take a stool or milk crate, etc., and sit with them and have some treats handy. I give them a treat and before you know it they are in lap. The love bread so I give them some small pieces.

 

[Morgaine]

Mine were a lot like that, but I would say in the last weeks they have gotten much friendlier, I even have one who will sit in my lap for a few minutes if I place her there. But plenty still jump away from me the moment I move. They seem less jumpy in the coop then when free ranging.

 

[scooter147]

In my experience it usually is one or two that causes the "panic". There survival skills are stronger than the rest and react to movement more than the others.

My "trouble maker" currently is a Buff Minorca. High strung she is, me throwing scratch to them in the evening sets her off!

 

[ears73]

Hi!
Try sitting down and holding tightly onto a grape. You might have to toss some bitten in half ones towards them first to get them to come over. When they realize that you have the grapes they will follow you around. I had the same issue of feeling like mine scattered every time I came near. Now we have ten chickens who march right into the house looking for us if the door is left open... what a change.

 

[Gainesvillechickenlover]

Are they laying yet? It seems like right after mine started laying eggs they became the calmest creatures. I visit with them and they are jumping on my shoulders and sitting in my lap. They were very skitish and I have had mine since they were 4 days old.

 

[Nemo]

My finacee has a house that used to be owned by a woman who ran a dog kennel / grooming service. There's a wonderful outbuilding that was the kennel. This spring, I quickly turned a couple of the inside pens into two coops after the chicks arrived. After we butchered the Cornish X Rocks, I started renovating their coop. The Buff Orps occasionally come into their coop to see what's going on. Every time I drop something, or use the drill or saw, they all go running for their door to the outside run.

 

[cmom]

I sit with my girls, I have no roo's, every day and give them treats. Now every time I go in the coup or when they are out and they see me they run over to see if I have anything. I have to be careful not to step on them.

 

[cantley2003]

Quote:
I have that book too! When I go visit the kids on my cases I take it with me as well as pictures of my birds It always intrest the little kids. And yes, chickens are wimps unless it is something significantly smaller than them that they can pick on, at least that's my experience.