my chickies hate me!

[halfwaynowhere]

Everytime I try to handle them, they try to get away. Maybe its because I work long hours, but I try to handle them in the morning before I go to work, and when I get back from work, too. They seem like they are wild, though! Why do they hate me? I want nice, tame chickens, not wild birds that think I'm evil!

 

[airmom1c05]

TREATS! Try Romaine lettuce, and refuse to give it to any bird who won't eat it out of your hands! Another thing is to pet them, and massage their crops at roost time. They are calmer and easier to handle when they are roosting. I spend an hour just before dark doing just that. My wildest bird even seems to enjoy it! These things take time, and depending on the breed, you may never have the rare chicken who will voluntarily jump up into your lap for a treat. Most folks who raise them from hatch have better luck with taming them. If the first thing the baby chick sees is YOU, you will probably have a sweet, tame, pet!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

bribe them with goodies!

lol, Airmom & I had the same vibe going!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Mine used to hate me too. I work 12 hour days. It seems I only get to see them when it's dark and they are sleeping. Now that they are almost a month old, they are getting used to me and are looking to get feed when I show up. I just set by their brooder and talk to them.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

What breeds are they? My orpingtons used to hate me and peck me. Now they still peck me but the roo lets me hold him and they follow me everywhere in the yard

 

[halfwaynowhere]

they are the ones in my sig. I'm pretty much guessing on two of them, the brown leghorn, and the gold laced wyandotte. the other two I'm fairly confidant are RIR and black australorp. the RIR is most likely to take food from my hands, she's my little piggy. the australorp is good about sitting still for me to pet her, but she's growing really fast, and now she wants to fly away with her big wings. the other two hide the most, but they all do it. I'll try some treats. I have the weekend off work, so I'm going to spend as much time with these girls as possible.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

Try some yogurt mixed with oatmeal and crushed boiled egg. Give each one a little bit and see if they take to it.Maybe some bay crickets would work.

 

[twigg]

Everytime I try to handle them, they try to get away.

Maybe you need to quit licking your lips every time you go near

 

[Kristi912]

I have the same problem too!!! It's comforting to know that others are or have went through the same thing. I'm being optimistic that this is just a phase and will end soon!!!!

 

[ebaribault]

Hi halfwaynowhere,
My 4 week old chics where the same way until I started feeding them treats from my hand. Now I can't keep them off of me.
Everytime they see me coming they try to fly on my shoulders and take a nap or peck my eyes out.

Good luck,
Ed