I like having friendly birds - most of my 15 adult chickens don't prefer being held, though most of them tolerate it. They will all run after me if they are hungry, or free-ranging and they need something (coop door blew shut, can't get feed, etc.)
When I enter the coop, they're in the way of my feet, rather than getting agitated or moving away. They also will happily hop up into the feed storage area where I am working. I like this level of comfort with my presence much better than chickens of former years. One of the hens has been handled quite a bit as a chick and as an adult. When she was being treated for an injury, she was quite comfortable in the house.
The small number of chickens has contributed to how friendly they are. I only hatched five chicks last year, and they were all handled a lot from Day 1. In the first week, they would run to eat chick starter and tiny treats out of my hand.
However, this year I have 42 chicks. I don't have very much time for handling them. They are all between 4 and 8 days old. Adding feed/water makes them panic. When around them, I try to accustom them to my voice, and offer them feed from my hand, but they all run away.
How can I build up a better level of trust with this high number of chicks? There are too many to handle individually. My older birds are used to me being the bringer of food, treats, etc. As the chicks get older, will they improve?
When I enter the coop, they're in the way of my feet, rather than getting agitated or moving away. They also will happily hop up into the feed storage area where I am working. I like this level of comfort with my presence much better than chickens of former years. One of the hens has been handled quite a bit as a chick and as an adult. When she was being treated for an injury, she was quite comfortable in the house.
The small number of chickens has contributed to how friendly they are. I only hatched five chicks last year, and they were all handled a lot from Day 1. In the first week, they would run to eat chick starter and tiny treats out of my hand.
However, this year I have 42 chicks. I don't have very much time for handling them. They are all between 4 and 8 days old. Adding feed/water makes them panic. When around them, I try to accustom them to my voice, and offer them feed from my hand, but they all run away.
How can I build up a better level of trust with this high number of chicks? There are too many to handle individually. My older birds are used to me being the bringer of food, treats, etc. As the chicks get older, will they improve?
