My chickens hate me!

[TexasSam]

Treat and sit on the ground and put some meal worms 12 inches away and do that A few times A week pretty soon they will run to you when they see you and follow you everywhere

 

[OG Anomaly]

"The way to a chickens heart is through us gizzard!".[/QUOTE]

Hahaha!

 

[OG Anomaly]

Mine keeps threatening to block BYC and Craigslist from my iPad.

Hahahaha

 

[GardenTillers44]

Patience and treats worked for me. Every night after work I'll sit in the yard with the chickens and offer a handful of mealworms and sunflower chips. It took them a few days to get used to me, then after they had been eating from my hand for a few days I started gently touching and petting their backs while eating. Be careful what you wish for...they now come running anytime I am near and are underfoot, at least until they figure out I have nothing for them. One Sussex started tugging on my pants and soon figured out that untying my shoelace was key to getting my attention. I started double tying my laces but now wear rubber muck boots

 

[OG Anomaly]

Patience and treats worked for me. Every night after work I'll sit in the yard with the chickens and offer a handful of mealworms and sunflower chips. It took them a few days to get used to me, then after they had been eating from my hand for a few days I started gently touching and petting their backs while eating. Be careful what you wish for...they now come running anytime I am near and are underfoot, at least until they figure out I have nothing for them. One Sussex started tugging on my pants and soon figured out that untying my shoelace was key to getting my attention. I started double tying my laces but now wear rubber muck boots View attachment 1095073

Great advice, story, and pic, thanks for sharing
What breed is the one on left side, near middle, with the green/iridescent feathers?

 

[GardenTillers44]

OG: "What breed is the one on left side, near middle, with the green/iridescent feathers?"

Black Copper Marans. All gray ones are Ameraucanas. All brown/orange are Welsummers. Gray with coppery head is a Blue Copper Marans and all black are Olive Eggers (Ameraucana x BCM). We have 3 Light Sussex as well but they are not as quick on the draw as the smaller, faster gals in the pic. They wade in eventually and get theirs.

Our oringinal goal wasn't so much to tame the chickies so we could handle and cuddle, but we wanted them comfortable enough with us to be able to do health checks and not have them so stressed when we do need to pick them up. It's easy to do a head count when all you have to do is walk near the yard and they all come running. I gotta admit it's relaxing to hang and chat with the peeps for a while after work. Yesterday I brought home some fresh blueberries, one of their favorites. We have game where I toss the blueberries across the yard and they chase them down. What a competition! It is amazing how fast and quick they are. I always make sure everyone gets some. We get a real chuckle out of them. Its funny, I resisted the chicken idea with my wife for a couple years, then one night I came home and 4 hens and a chicken tractor were in the yard. Now we're all in and it's hard to imagine life without chickens.

 

[wvchics]

Now that is just precious! My kids would have a fit if one of our girls followed them around all the time. .I have friendly breeds and several of mine will jump in my lap it's just how they act if I approach them that's the problem.

Some breeds are less skittish, but be careful how you approach them. Walk slow and lazily towards them when they stop and look at you just stop and talk to them until they go back to what they were doing. They will gradually get used to you being around not trying to pet or pick them up. After a while you will be able to walk up and stand right in the middle of them. Do not crouch or sneak in any way. If you do they will associate you as a predator. My chickens will run right up to me when I walk outside, but if I behave like I'm stalking prey they will all turn and run. It is their instinct.

 

[Top Rooster]

Once they start laying they become 10x more friendly idk why but once they do they'll start to squat for you and then you can pick them up

Sorry if someone said this already I didn't want to read 16 pages

 

[wvchics]

Yes that would be a good way to improve my method lol but I'm the crazy woman who sits in the yard talking to her chickens ... but hey lol my chickens love me ... I think

My fiancé calls me the crazy chicken lady lol. He says I spend all my free time with the chickens. I can't help it though. I laugh every time I see one run across the yard, and I love how they all run up to me when I walk outside. I even have a hen who will hang out with me even when the other chickens wander off to eat. Then she'll realize how far away the flock is and take off running towards them. I call her my buddy bird because I haven't come up with a name for her yet.

 

[GardenTillers44]

Top Rooster: "Once they start laying they become 10x more friendly idk why but once they do they'll start to squat for you and then you can pick them up"

That has been our experience as well. 5 of 6 of our older layers calmed down and will squat with wings out slightly and allow you to scratch their backs, pick them up, whatever. Lot of physiological and hormonal changes with egg laying so could be tied to that. A neighbor told me he thought it might be that without a roo, the girls might be reacting to their perceived role of us within the flock. ???