My Chicks Hate Me :(

[WRVgirl]

I hatched out 7 beautiful BBS English Orpingtons 2.5 weeks ago and they were the most friendly, affectionate babies I've ever had. Last Saturday I woke up to a Cocci outbreak in my 5-6 week old pen, so as I battled that and cleaned, disinfected and medicated everyone:

[My coops are cleaned 2x weekly, water bowls are washed daily and food dishes are ran through the dishwasher and disinfected once a week...I've got no idea where my babies got this from as they're confined to their coop and run so the hens don't bully them]

:I really limited my contact with the new babies...only touching the food and water dishes to clean them, and not handling the babies at all.

Well, now that it's all cleared up, my chicks hate me. They freak out whenever I come into their room [I have a brooder set up in the house until they turn 4-5 weeks, then they transition outside] I can't hold them or touch them.

Is there anything I can do. I hate that they freak out whenever they see me, and I don't want them to be stressed out.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

The only advice I have is keep holding them and touching them so that they can get use to you!

 

[user172110]

The more time you spend with them the more they will imprint on you and wanna be with you

 

[gg706]

My chickens went through periods of being VERY friendly to behaving like I was going to kill them. I am under the impression that chickens go through stages possibly like puppies go through stages of social behavior and "fear stages" that leave impressions for a lifetime. That said I do think behaviors are also inherited from the parent stock. Hopefully your chicks are going through a stage and will turn out friendly. As far as chickens go...mine did turn out to be pretty friendly. Food never hurts either. I call mine and they come running!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

A lot of the time they seem more skittish as teens and then calm down when they start laying.

I use live meal worms to make friends with my more fearful birds. I sit low and still on the ground away from them and toss them the worms, gradually throwing them closer and closer to me. If you work on it every day and don't push too much eventually they eat out of the hands and climb into my lap to get worms.

 

[WRVgirl]

Thanks everyone.

I hope they turn around. My last hatch of English orpingtons are te sweetest, most friendly teenage chickens ever. They love me. I just feel terrible that this batch seems so skittish when just a week or so ago they would hop into my hands if I stuck them in the cage.

Hopefully in a few weeks, I can ply them with mealworms