Scared Chicks

[Morning Dove]

I bought some RIR and PR chicks, about 6 weeks old. I've had them for about a week and they are still scared of me and won't eat out of my hand....... Any suggestions on how to get them to be more friendly an less fearful of me?

Dove

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Just takes time, they were not use to being handled on a daily basis probably. They will come around, its normal for them to think of you as a predator swooping into their territory, just have patience with them.

 

[monathequeen]

my chicks NEVER ate out of my hand and I bought them at 1 week old.
Now they are grown (2 1/2 yrs.) and I give them treats out of my hand. stale bread, cut up grapes, ect...they will jump on my lap and swap my sandwich out of my hand.
I had four hens on my lap once trying to eat my hamberger. LOL
they are not going to butter up to you until their older and are used to seeing you everyday and night and then they will run from you if you try to snatch them up. The only way to a chickens heart is through their stomach.......

 

[redstars]

You should move slowly around them. Someone said that on here and I tryed it and noticed it made a difference. Sudden moves were freaking them out. Mine are about 7 weeks and loved to be picked up.

 

[popcornpuppy]

This is my own personal experience. I hold the chickens close to me and look them calmly in the eye with a gaze that says "I am here to look after you and take care of you, I would never hurt you." I find that they calm down imediately after that. I have never heard of anyone trying to calm a chicken down by looking at it directly in the eye, but it definately works for me.