New member...need help with my brahma bantams

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Laxmi Kulkarni

Laxmi Kulkarni

Hatching
May 8, 2015
5
0
9
Enschede, The Netherlands
Hello,

Thank you for adding me to BYC.

I just bought my first ever chickens, two brahma bantam hens, that are 8 weeks old. They are extremely shy and fleety. I would love for them to be tame and I've been trying to familiarize them with treats of food. Unfortunately, they don't seem yo want to eat anything other than the store bought chicken feed so giving them treats just doesn't work. What do I do?

Looking forwRd to some help.


700


Regards,

Laxmi
 
Give them what they will eat. Right now it's just food and I'm sure later treats will work. I pick up may babies and hold food I front of them till they eat. A long slow process. If you do this each day they should get use to you holding and feeding them by hand. If they don't want you to hold them don't be offended. All chickens like any other animal have their own personalities. Food is the best way to win them over though.
I also feed my chickens from a red container since they can see bright colors. They will run to you when you hold anything red. Lol
Also welcome to BYC and what cuties you have!!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


Aww.....they are just adorable! It is normal for older chicks or even grown birds to be shy of you at first. (It is so much easier to bond with chicks) But you can tame up birds you did not raise yourself. It just takes time. They are unsure of your intentions and it is built into every bird to feel that they can be preyed upon and eaten. So just work with them slowly. Don't try to pick them up much, but go sit with them on their level in the coop or run. Talk softly to them. Move slowly.

As for foods, this is also a built in mechanism to stay alive and not eat any unfamiliar foods. All chicks are like this. So it takes them time to learn to eat new foods. So you need to just keep introducing things to them. Eventually, like my birds, they will eat ANYTHING that drops to the floor and ask questions later! LOL

So this is all normal behavior. Make EVERY encounter with them a positive one. This is what sticks in their minds. So that each time they see you, they know good things are coming their way.

Good luck with your new babies and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask around the forums.

Welcome to our flock!
 
Thank you so much. I do hope they learn to trust me. I used to have a white leghorn rooster years ago that I'd raised from a chick. He was the sweetest. I have a 3 year old daughter who loves chickens and enjoys feeding the one at the petting zoo.
I hope ours learn to trust people and she can enjoy our pets too. I minimize her interaction with them right now because I can imagine that toddlers can seem frightening to chickens.

Does it takes months to tame them?
 
Laxmi Kulkarni said:
Thank you so much. I do hope they learn to trust me. I used to have a white leghorn rooster years ago that I'd raised from a chick. He was the sweetest. I have a 3 year old daughter who loves chickens and enjoys feeding the one at the petting zoo.
I hope ours learn to trust people and she can enjoy our pets too. I minimize her interaction with them right now because I can imagine that toddlers can seem frightening to chickens.

Does it takes months to tame them?
Click to expand...
No....in a few weeks, if you work with them, they should be warming up to you. Find something they do enjoy. Most chickens love hard boiled eggs. Chop and warm up an egg and take it out to them. Go slow with them but if they enjoy this treat, that is one step closer to you they will get. Mealworms are also a favorite. Food is a huge motivator for bonding.

And yes, keep the children away until the birds are more comfortable. It shouldn't be too long if you spend time with them and show them you mean them no harm AND are packing goodies!!

Good luck with your new babies! :)
 

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