Overly Shy Chicken

[Sarah g 12]

I have a chicken that's about 5 weeks old, and she's really scared of humans. All the others come up to me and eat from my hand and let me pick them up, but if I reach toward her, she runs to the other side of the coop. Does anyone know what I could do to make her more comfortable around people?

 

[thebanthams]

it takes time to work with her. give her special treats once in a while until she knows its ok ! I like to give mine watermelon or cantaloupe.

 

[azygous]

I had a young Cochin cockerel who was so shy he would have a melt-down if I tried to touch him. He was terrified of me reaching for him and he would panic and try to jump over my head or climb the run fence to avoid being handled.

I slowly gained his trust by withholding food and forcing him to eat his crumbles from my hand. Same for scratch grain. After a week or so, I would slowly reach over and touch him lightly on his back as he ate from my other hand. As he became accustomed to the light touch and associating being touched with the pleasure of eating, I began to move my hand around on his body.

Bit by bit, he calmed down and began to allow me to handle him more and more. I made a point in doing this every day, and after a few months, he no longer had a panic fit when I would reach for him.

By the time he was two years old, he was perfectly fine with me picking him up and doing whatever I needed with him. It's too bad some bad dogs came by one day with their thoughtless owner and killed him.

 

[Sarah g 12]

Thanks! I'll give that at try Also, do you know if she'll become shy again if I stop giving her so much attention? I have six chickens and it's hard to give them all special attention