Our chicks hate us?

[Momto5chicks]

Hi all,

We have 5 chicks, now a little more than a month old, just installed into their coop/run after a month in our bathroom nursery.

We have had them since they were 1 week old, and have handled them, held them, played with them and loved on them steadily since the day we brought them home. We feed them meal worms as treats from our hands and give them nothing but steady, positive attention.

And yet...they hate us! Each day they all go increasingly more berserk when we pick them up....screaming, fighting, scratching like crazy. They've become skeptical of our presence and will often desperately run screaming from us when we enter the run.

Is this just a phase they are going through? Are they just the equivalent of chicken teenagers, rebellious and ornery at this stage in their lives?

We have two Barred Rocks, two Sex Links, and a Rhode Island Red. Do they calm down in henhood? Will they soon appreciate us as the source of all good things?

Please advise, I think I'm getting a complex.

 

[loverOFchickens]

What breed are they?
Mine are not friendly despite being heald but they do not try to ecscape once I catch them

 

[Momto5chicks]

We have two Barred Rocks, two Sex Links, and a Rhode Island Red. All friendly breeds, I thought. I am hoping it is just their youth?

 

[Paws2u]

When my 12 (6 red star and 6 black star) were young (we've had since 2 days old) they did the same thing as yours....cheep, squirm, et.al). They are now 24 weeks and they are not skiddish at all. In fact today I had to bring one in the kitchen to clean up (she had poo all over her for some reason?) and she was as quiet as can be during her cleaning. It does get better, just keep up the handling and hand-feeding. Good luck.

 

[JennsPeeps]

They also get friendlier when they come closer to their point of lay. My RIR has never been a "warm" bird but she lets us touch her and catch her now that she's laying.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

Yes, I agree with the previous posters. They definately get more friendly with age. At laying age, they also begin to squat, which make them very easy to catch and pick up. All of my older ones come running to me to see if I have treats, but the little chicks act like they will have a heart attack when I try to go near them. I'm sure yours will come around!

Genie

 

[Chicken Woman]

My girls became easier to pick up when they started to lay as well. I reach for them and they just squat as if I were their rooster. I can carry them around while doing my chores.

I think they will calm down with age. They also have just been moved to stange quarters so it will take awhile for them to adjust.

Sometimes I don't think we realize that changes like that stress the birds out for awhile.

 

[Momto5chicks]

Thank you everyone for your sage advice! I feel so much better. Of all the various little chicken issues we have dealt with so far, this is the one that was truly troubling me, since I read all the time about the rewarding friendships one can have with one's hens. I'll continue loving on them until they get out of this phase.

Now if they can only figure out how to use their ramp into the coop!

 

[Chicken Woman]

How much of a slant does it have ? (the ramp) Should be at least 20 %. Take treats and sprinkle along ramp to teach them to climb it.
Raisins work well.

 

[lengel]

There's a stage between when they start to exhibit dominance with each other and when they start laying that we don't even bother trying to handle them. They chill out eventually although some of it is personality. I still have to use a net to catch one of our geriatric hens after the group has been out for the day. The rest of that group though is lovely about being handled.