Seriously, same. We purposely leave a little pink on our watermelon slices. I make them special breakfast mash every morning in addition to their dry feed. Setup cinderblocks and wood block for activity. A little appreciation would be nice!
I found this became easier once they started laying, then they started squatting when I held my hand over them. The look on their faces though, definitely “Crap, now she’s going to touch me”
I had a chicken like this but I was very snuggly with her! She’s a production red and just sassy she runs away when I tried to pick her up. Now I just get near her and she’ll let me touch her (she still runs from strangers but it doesn’t really matter.) I trained all my chickens to be very tolerant for holding I can do whatever I want with them and they won’t freak out. I did this by a very long process of hand feeding and secret touching. I’d hand feed them everyday with treats and touch their chest and slowly desensitize them. Then I’d move on by catching and holding then feeding them while in my arms. It was really just this for three months and now my production red lets me do whatever I want with her. She went from running away to tolerant. So maybe try hand feeding daily with chest touching. I wish you luck
I would do it now before they start laying eggs. It is NEVER too late since my production was already laying eggs and a year old when I tamed her out. But you’re still at a young age to mold them into handable chickens a lot easier and quicker than older ones. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
I have found that sitting in the run with my flock makes them less leery of me. Some will flutter up onto my lap. I also offer tidbits which they're not afraid to take from my hand. They did have to learn to take the tidbits without taking my fingers!I'm a little weird in that I believe in animals autonomy. If they don't want handling that's their choice unless there's a real need, like illness, moving coops, or going for sale.
When I first move them into the coop, I force them to roost. It's a safety issue IMO, height keeps them safe from small predators like rats. So they squawk mean names at me, but I grab them and stick them on the roost as many times as needed for them to get it (timing it for enough darkness they want to stay put, but enough light that I don't need a flashlight).
This would be an ideal time for you to look them over. Right on the border of dark. The urge to roost at bedtime is strong enough they shouldn't escape when you open the door. Night chickens are totally different to day chickens
If you go after your birds in the day and they get away, you're basically teaching them to run away from you.
I like to just sit with my birds. I don't want lap chickens, but I bring out a folding chair some days and spend time watching them. They get curious too, and some come up to visit me. Even the sweetest go through a long "Don't touch me" stage. But since they know I won't just grab at them, they still come close.
Odd, I find sitting in my run makes the neighbors REALLY leery of me. And the chickens could care less…I have found that sitting in the run with my flock makes them less leery of me. Some will flutter up onto my lap. I also offer tidbits which they're not afraid to take from my hand. They did have to learn to take the tidbits without taking my fingers!
It's okay with me if the neighbors are leery of me!
Yes I keep a production red who pretty much has the same temperament. She’s okay-ish about being picked up now since I picked her up everyday but now she’s only okay with it from me, which is a bit silly. She runs from everyone else. Though, she really just prefers getting treats, as you said!
