I have 8 13-week old pullets that I have raised from day 1 and have handled almost daily: 2 partridge rocks, 2 black australorps, 2 columbian wyandottes, 1 ancona and 1 ee.
The ancona has been flighty from the beginning. Either her behavior is taking a toll on the others or something is seriously the matter. The EE was pretty friendly but in the past week has taken a significant turn for the worse and I cannot catch her without terrorizing her by grabbing her feet, because she won't come in arm's reach (this started before I had to take measures to catch her - which isn't helping AT ALL).
The wyandottes are fine, the rocks are friendly and the australorps are cautious. Those 6 have maintained pretty consistent behavior. It was 2 years ago, but I can't remember my flock of 7 BRs ever running from people as though in fright (with the exception of one bird). I see 3 possibilities:
1) teenager phase
2) ancona's distrust and flightiness affecting other birds
3) environmental disruption such as terrorization by neighborhood children (haven't witnessed this, but have heard the neighbor teenage boys mocking me when I talk to them and their father encourages it).
Any input from experience or other ideas? I've had an open loaf of bread hanging around right next to the coop for several weeks and it's untouched, so I'm pretty sure I don't have a (non-human) predator issue as I live on a busy intersection.
The ancona has been flighty from the beginning. Either her behavior is taking a toll on the others or something is seriously the matter. The EE was pretty friendly but in the past week has taken a significant turn for the worse and I cannot catch her without terrorizing her by grabbing her feet, because she won't come in arm's reach (this started before I had to take measures to catch her - which isn't helping AT ALL).
The wyandottes are fine, the rocks are friendly and the australorps are cautious. Those 6 have maintained pretty consistent behavior. It was 2 years ago, but I can't remember my flock of 7 BRs ever running from people as though in fright (with the exception of one bird). I see 3 possibilities:
1) teenager phase
2) ancona's distrust and flightiness affecting other birds
3) environmental disruption such as terrorization by neighborhood children (haven't witnessed this, but have heard the neighbor teenage boys mocking me when I talk to them and their father encourages it).
Any input from experience or other ideas? I've had an open loaf of bread hanging around right next to the coop for several weeks and it's untouched, so I'm pretty sure I don't have a (non-human) predator issue as I live on a busy intersection.
