My peeps don't like me....6 weeks old approximately

[HippieChickyMama]

So, my little peeps are growing up and they are still terrified of me. They are about 7 or 8 weeks old now and 4 of them are about 12 weeks old. It is starting to give me a complex.

I feel like a school kid again....I really want them to like me. I give them treats and talk to them. My hubby built them a really nice house and they get to free range part of the day. I even made them homemade yogurt. What am I doing wrong? They run when they see me coming! They squack when I try to pick them up. And "Ribbon" who is a Buff Orp even pecks at me if I try to pet her.

I just want them to like me!!!! I love them all so much.

 

[Prairie Mary]

Mine were afraid of me at around that age too. My bro gave me advice to move slowly when around them. I'm not so sure that is what made the difference. Just one day they decided that I was okay. I feed scratch to them and Lefty (aka Miss Piggy) is hot on that then the rest follow. We do a lot of chatting too - it's hard not to join the running commentary that goes on between the girls.
Also, some are just more friendly than others.

 

[juliawitt]

Treats such as mealworms, fed from your hand works. I will sit in the coop, very still and quiet for a few minutes. Then softly start saying "here chick, chick". They have learned that means treats. I also feed just a tiny bit of cracked corn from a silver coffee can so it rattles. When I go into the run shacking the can, they really run! I am sorry they are standoffish, but try the mealworms. Also, try the calm quiet behaviour. I hope this helps.

 

[Opa]

Chickens will never "love" you but they will come to see you as a source of food and come running. It just takes time, slow movements and patience for them to not freak out when you approach. Some breeds and some birds are calmer than others.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

If you keep working with them, they will. They come around when they get older.

Yesterday when I was in the coop feeding scraps, I was bending over to scrape out the pot and one of them just flew up onto my back. The others milled around my feet.

I have some that let me pick them up and then some won't. One hen is almost like a puppy. She stands right next to me until I pick her up and pet her.

However she was a sickly chick and inside for almost 2 months.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Keep up the treats and someday you will wish you had never trained them too come a'running. lol.

DH avoids walking to the barn with me because we get 'greeted' very loudly by 5 ducks, 1 roo and 7 hens. And heaven forbid if I am carrying something in my hand cause they are sure its food....even if it is the mower gas can or a bag of trash...lol.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
What HE said! Oh, Opa....just when I think you have the avatar I love the most, you pop up another that melts me!

 

[jerseygirl1]

Mine were the same way at the same age as yours - they are now 16 weeks old and let me pet them - except, I had to hand feed them mealworms for a few weeks, then after that, I hand fed them scratch - Now they come running when they see me. It will take awhile, almost like they need to grow up first

 

[ijon1]

My chickens get more tame as they get older. If you call flying on my shoulder tame. I have one hen that talks to me a lot. I think by watching them that if you get one chicken tame the others will follow.

 

[HippieChickyMama]

Thank you so much to all of you for your responses. You have given me hope. I will try the meal worms.....what are meal worms anyway? And where do I get them? I give them my husband's leftover fishing worms.....is that the same thing?
P.s. I love you chicken people!!!!!