Polish Bantam - will she ever chill out?

[AussieChook]

Hi, we have a Polish bantam who won't let us anywhere near her. She's very flighty and nervous. Our other two, a wyandotte and a Silkie (also bantams) were reluctant to be held at first, but now submit, more or less willingly, to a bit of gentle patting and being held. Will our Polish ever chill out enough to let us pick her up without squawking and flapping like a maniac? Any tips on how to tame her a bit?

Many thanks for any tips or insight.

 

[sheaviance1]

Hi there!

I have a flock of 16. In my flock, I have 13 that I raised from chicks, and they are all quite tame. Some of the like to be held, others don't at first, and then settle down.
The three that I got when they were older are very skittish. One, I have never been able to touch, the other two, don't like it, run from it, and squawk the entire time. They do come to me when I offer treats, but the most skittish one will not come any closer than about 6 feet. The other two will take treats from my hand, and are content to be near me as long as I don't reach for them.

Mine LOVE raisins. I would suggest finding a treat that they like, and offering it fairly often to help break the ice.
Good luck!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Next time you visit them, bring some yummy treats wih you. I doubt she'll come up to you, but throw some near her and try and associate your presence with something good. The way to a chicken's heart is through their stomach.

I suggest something you can hand out in pieces.

You can also try something that I do, which is to make a certain noise when you enter the coop, to feed, or to give treats, and begin making that noise every time you give them something. This is another association technique that I do with my entire flock. I have some 'flightier' birds and when I go out to feed the masses, I make a vocal clicking noise and I have 15+ chickens rushing at me. At that point, it becomes very easy to pluck one up off the ground-so long as they get the food reward they were promised.

Good luck!