My week old chicks still won't come near me. :(

[Silkylover12]

Cool! I think it just takes time for them to get adjusted to their new environment. I would be that way if I just came out of a box!

 

[kroppcoop]

I'm having the same difficulties! They'll stay on me if I put them there, but are very skittish when I approach them. They're 4 weeks old. They're also not too into treats yet, too unfamiliar. I'm hoping when they start enjoying food varieties, I can bribe them into loving me!

 

[flippinggoldfis]

Food works wonders, especially high interest foods like mealworms...so they associate coming to you with a treat!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

My 9 chicks arrived on Wednesday morning and are a week old today. They still have not gotten over their fear of me yet. I started holding one at a time in a bandana around my neck and they settle right down and seem content but as soon as I put them back in the brooder, they hide in the corner when I come near them. I sit by the box and do a jigsaw puzzle on a table so they can see me for long periods of time...i've let my hand hang down into the brooder for 10 minutes at a time while talking gently to them and they come near me but as soon as I move my hand, they run. I've offered tiny bits of scrambled egg from my hand and they wont touch it.

I'm not sure what else to do! I had chicks in April and they were sleeping on my lap and jumping into my hand within the first week. I will say that i've had to take care of 3 of them with pasty butt...i'm sure it was a frightening experience for them and caused some mistrust but what else was I supposed to do?

Am I doing something wrong? I am worried they will not bond with me at all!

If you absolutely positively got to pet your young birds boil, chill, and peel an egg. cut the hard boiled egg into about 4 pieces and hold one piece in your hand while the chicks come to investigate and eat. Repeat with a new egg the next day. But what ever you do don't make quick or sudden movements towards your birds. Everything likes to eat chickens and this fact won't be lost on your young chicks. It sounds to me like you got some of those good kinds of chicks, the ones that don't make easy varmint food. Enjoy, your lucky.

 

[chicksurreal]

Our first flock were comprised of Silver Spangled Hamburgs, which are notoriously flighty. Maybe they taught me something about patience when it comes to gentling chickens, but several things I know for certain: If you want your chickens to tolerate you or possibly even like you Lol! -

Don't make any sudden movements, move slowly

Don't change the environment they are in

Be consistent, do the same things every time you deal with them

Speak softly and have treats with you

Sit on the ground or in a chair that is low to the ground

Let them come to you


These are a few of the things that we learned when trying to gentle our first flock, and it has served us well with new chicks as they arrive. I still have girls who fly up on my shoulder after a year. Some chickens are just not as comfortable with people even when they are treated this way, but most of my chickens (40+) come running when they see me and have no fear when I am near them. Just some observations from a fairly new chicken keeper.

 

[valley]

I'm new at this too! Glad to know I'm not alone! My mail order chicks were terrified! We did just like you, just kept at it, held them every day. My feelings were so hurt. My GF wears lots of colorful rings and a bracelet. They were fascinated and came right to her hand. We used crunched freeze dried meal worms. Not scientific, but they loved bling! My youngest are 3 mos now, all are so friendly, except the 3 local bought Easter Eggers. Did the same with them, they are wild.

yes, they love anything colorful! I put down a paper plate with diced tomato on it last night and they pecked more at the red design along the edge of the rim than they did at the tomatoes!

 

[Silkylover12]

That should work! Just keep holding them. And like you said they like stuff colorful. That's great! wear bright and colorful outfits! That should help a little, but besides that feed them food and hold them for long periods of time. Keep it up!

 

[kyexotics]

My 9 chicks arrived on Wednesday morning and are a week old today. They still have not gotten over their fear of me yet. I started holding one at a time in a bandana around my neck and they settle right down and seem content but as soon as I put them back in the brooder, they hide in the corner when I come near them. I sit by the box and do a jigsaw puzzle on a table so they can see me for long periods of time...i've let my hand hang down into the brooder for 10 minutes at a time while talking gently to them and they come near me but as soon as I move my hand, they run. I've offered tiny bits of scrambled egg from my hand and they wont touch it.

I'm not sure what else to do! I had chicks in April and they were sleeping on my lap and jumping into my hand within the first week. I will say that i've had to take care of 3 of them with pasty butt...i'm sure it was a frightening experience for them and caused some mistrust but what else was I supposed to do?

Am I doing something wrong? I am worried they will not bond with me at all!

All you can do is handle them as much as possible...With groups, what we see, is they will develop the mob mentality and when the most timid freaks out, they all freak out...Handling them will bring out the friendlier ones at some point....Sometimes it doesn't...

 

[tcl322]

Glad to hear they are coming around. My chicks are in the coop. We are in the process of building a temporary run since it is getting so hot. It's also a challenge getting in and out of the coop and trying to clean with chicks all over you. It will be nice to let them out and do my chores in the coop while they are out!

I also use freeze dried meal worms and scrambled/boiled eggs. Takes them a bit to figure out it's food but once they do...OMG! They love it!