- Jun 9, 2011
- 20
- 0
- 22
Hello from Rochester, NY! This is my first time posting, as I'm extremely new to raising chickens. About 2.5 months ago, we got three two-week-old Barred Rock chicks from a friend, and they were super-friendly. We would bring them out into the yard and they would walk all over us and let us hold them with very little fuss. Unfortunately, the chicks ended up dying in their coop from heat stress while we were away at work. The run was unfinished so they didn't have access, and we had a freakishly and unexpectedly hot day. It was very sad, but I've chalked it up to experience and finished and improved the coop and run design.
Saddened by the loss of our new favorite pets, I bought some pullets, all females, right around 2.5 months old, from a breeder. 4 birds in all: 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Cuckoo Marans, and 1 Red Star (I believe it's a White Leghorn/RI Red cross). I'm very happy to say that in their new and improved coop they managed to survive our first 95 degree day here! They have adjusted to the coop, although they hilariously all squeeze into the nesting box at night to sleep, practically on top of each other. They have also really taken to grazing in the yard...I don't think that they had ever seen grass before, and they didn't know what to do at first! Our B.R. chicks would fight over the grass clippings I'd give to them in the brooder....these girls simply ignored it the first time I gave it to them.
These birds, however, are very fearful of humans. They run from me whenever I approach them, and struggle to escape when I do manage to catch them. We've had them for less than a week, so perhaps they still need time to get used to us...their living situation where they were raised suggests to me that they had little human contact apart from the breeders coming out to feed them. There were so many birds that they more than likely didn't get handled at all, let alone regularly. I've been handling them a little bit every day, one at a time, but they definitely don't like it, and I don't want to stress them out and exacerbate their fear of humans. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions in regards to making them a bit more personable, or if this is just a phase that they go through. I was thinking about maybe buying some mealworms to use as treats or something along those lines, as well. Thanks for any advice!
Saddened by the loss of our new favorite pets, I bought some pullets, all females, right around 2.5 months old, from a breeder. 4 birds in all: 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Black Australorp, 1 Cuckoo Marans, and 1 Red Star (I believe it's a White Leghorn/RI Red cross). I'm very happy to say that in their new and improved coop they managed to survive our first 95 degree day here! They have adjusted to the coop, although they hilariously all squeeze into the nesting box at night to sleep, practically on top of each other. They have also really taken to grazing in the yard...I don't think that they had ever seen grass before, and they didn't know what to do at first! Our B.R. chicks would fight over the grass clippings I'd give to them in the brooder....these girls simply ignored it the first time I gave it to them.
These birds, however, are very fearful of humans. They run from me whenever I approach them, and struggle to escape when I do manage to catch them. We've had them for less than a week, so perhaps they still need time to get used to us...their living situation where they were raised suggests to me that they had little human contact apart from the breeders coming out to feed them. There were so many birds that they more than likely didn't get handled at all, let alone regularly. I've been handling them a little bit every day, one at a time, but they definitely don't like it, and I don't want to stress them out and exacerbate their fear of humans. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions in regards to making them a bit more personable, or if this is just a phase that they go through. I was thinking about maybe buying some mealworms to use as treats or something along those lines, as well. Thanks for any advice!
