Sketchy Cochins..Help!!

[Eli-Jay]

Hey all!

I have four, 5 week old female Cochins.
Everything I have read on this breed has said that Cochins are one of the most friendliest breeds and are really good with children and families.
Well, unfortunately this is not the case for our little ones because they are so sketchy! They are turning out to be basically the opposite of how sweet and kind everyone says they are.
Now, these are our first chicks ever and it is definitely a learning experience for us.
We are trying our hardest to get them to be more friendly towards us by holding them and spending time with them every day, which we have done since the day they hatched.
Nothing seems to work unfortunately. Every time we go near them or they even see the site of us, they immediately start "screaming" and run away.
We can't even let them out of the coop because they will run away from us and hide and it is too hard to try to catch them.
We are getting pretty frustrated with the situation and how sketchy they have turned out to be and we want to be good parents.

Is there any advice you have to help us with our journey of raising these beautiful birds?

Any advice or anything you have to offer is greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

 

[Judy]

They need an outdoor space. They willl never be content as long as they live only indoors. You could let them out and hope they will return to the coop at dusk, as most free range birds will, once they have learned the coop is their home.

Picking them up against their will is frightening to them. Instead, coax them to come to you with treats. Sit still, be patient, and let them explore your feet or hand in their own time.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-socialize-baby-chickens

 

[Eli-Jay]

They have an outdoor space. They have a coop outside, they free range all day and go to their coop at dusk already. We have meal worms for treats and sit with the meal worms near us, doesnt seem to do much for them. Ive been very patient with allowing them to explore and being calm around them, maybe I need to be even more patient? Not sure.

Does the dominant chick determine the behavior of the others in the flock? We notice that our most dominant chick is the loudest and most scared and didnt know if that could be causing the others to be also..

Thank you for your help and any advice

 

[bobbi-j]

Hey all!

I have four, 5 week old female Cochins.
Nothing seems to work unfortunately. Every time we go near them or they even see the site of us, they immediately start "screaming" and run away.
We can't even let them out of the coop because they will run away from us and hide and it is too hard to try to catch them.
We are getting pretty frustrated with the situation and how sketchy they have turned out to be and we want to be good parents.
Any advice or anything you have to offer is greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

They have an outdoor space. They have a coop outside, they free range all day and go to their coop at dusk already.
We have meal worms for treats and sit with the meal worms near us, doesnt seem to do much for them. Ive been very patient with allowing them to explore and being calm around them, maybe I need to be even more patient? Not sure.

Does the dominant chick determine the behavior of the others in the flock? We notice that our most dominant chick is the loudest and most scared and didnt know if that could be causing the others to be also..

Thank you for your help and any advice

I'm probably speaking out of turn here, as I don't make pets of my chickens, but here goes anyway. Chickens are naturally a prey animal. They are basically on the bottom of the food chain. Everything wants to eat them, so their instinct is to run away. You have made some conflicting statements. In your first post, you said you can't let them out of the coop because they run away from you and you can't catch them. (Your trying to catch them is most likely why they run away from you.) In your second post, you stated that they free range all day.... How old are your kids? Do they run after the chickens, trying to pet them? That would make the chickens "sketchy". If you really want to tame them, you will need to be more patient, apparently since what you're doing isn't working. Sit longer, sit quieter, sit still for a longer period of time.

It's possible that the most dominant chick influences the others. That's how the flock protects itself. A dominant bird stands guard and alerts the others when danger is near.

 

[Eli-Jay]

I don't have kids, but I am probably the one acting like a kid running after them.

So my new plan is to be more patient and allow them to come to me. Thank you for your advice. . Great points on saying that they are animals of prey. This is so true and I am probably acting too much like the prey. Poor girls. Thank you for your time and pointers. Im sure this will all blow over and they will be much more tame once I give them more time and be calmer around them.

 

[bobbi-j]

Sorry - you mentioned cochins being good with kids and then that you wanted to be a good parent so I just assumed...

I agree that once you quit chasing them and just let them get used to you, it will make a difference. Like I said - I don't make pets of my chickens, but I can be out and around them and they aren't the least bit bothered. Of course, they also realize that when I show up there is food involved. I have one very friendly BLRW who will come up to me and I do pet her now and then. She may be one of the rare ones around here who gets to stay even when she's done laying.

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Most friendly birds I have ever had, and mine are not pets either are those I was able to just sit with. Wife would complain because I would disappear for hour or two and when asked what I was doing upon return I said "chickens" and that was that all good. I would sit in the coop with them after dusk, or when they were penned for whatever reason.. From day old to adults. Some would naturally get gutsy and hop on my lap. Others would just give me the eye. Just being around them, I think made them realize I was not the next step up in the food chain. Since then 3 kids later I do not have the time to do that but all my birds are friendly enough. Just not lap birds. My youngest kids can very rarely get rough with them and never have issues with scratching or pecking. If I do we have room in the freezer, since I do not tolerate any mean birds.