Taming Broody Raised Chicks

[PollyGirl21]

Hi!
We are thinking about letting our dedicated bantam broody EE hatch some chicks. Unfortunately, she's always been very flighty. I'm afraid she won't let any of her chicks, once hatched, near us. Even if we do manage to get close enough to handle them, I worry she'll freak out and teach her chicks to freak out. We raise chickens mainly for pleasure, so we want friendly birds!

Does anyone have any suggestions about taming methods?
Or do I have to wait until they've outgrown mom to start taming them down?
Or should I just surrender myself to the fact that these chicks just aren't going to be friendly with a mama like that?
The chicks' father was a very friendly silkie, if that has anything to do with this. Maybe the friendly gene will get passed down?

I was also wondering what the fertility and hatchability rate is for eggs fathered by an amateur rooster, brooded by an amateur hen, during the colder winter months. Probably not very high.
The eggs have the odds stacked against them, but seeing as our hen went broody during the winter with a rooster around, I'd like to see what Mother Nature can do.


Thanks!

 

[DiYMama540]

Food is the way to their heart! If you bring treats and goodies regularly, they will soon associate you with goodies. I put my hand stuffed with mealworms out for my girls, fist closed so they have to take their time, and they all come running now any time they see me.

 

[PollyGirl21]

Thanks! What age do you recommend to start giving treats?
Also, where you eventually able to tame them enough to hold them?

 

[DiYMama540]

I don't usually start treats until about 2 weeks, but I've read on here that you can offer scrambled and boiled eggs a little earlier. Just don't overdo it with the treats, they should only make up about 10%of their diet.
None of my girls are "lap chickens". I am able to pick them up and handle them if I need to, but I wouldn't say they particularly enjoy it. They do come to me willingly and beg for food though they are just as bad, if not worse, than my dogs!!

 

[centrarchid]

I sometimes look at this from a different angle where biggest concern has hen attacking you if she cannot otherwise keep you from approaching her chicks. Birds involved are mostly game chickens that can be a real handful when protecting chicks. Firstly, my birds are inherently flighty and they need to be tame for handling. This particularly so for those used for work. What I can do even with crazy hens that never been around human contact is place them in pens like the one below. The pens are in a building / barn most of the time rather than on a pickup as shown. By work, the chickens, including hens with chicks, must be able to interact with public without stress to either party. The birds in pens are provided with feed and water at all times. Then I approach carfully and give them live meal worms in small amounts. It does not take long for hen and chicks to figure out I am bringing the eats. Then they get excited and meet me through pen walls to take the meal worms from my hands.

Kid below doing same.

Once the chickens relax, I let them out and they come to me with called.

Use life insects, not the freeze dried stuff or other non-insect fare.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hi!
We are thinking about letting our dedicated bantam broody EE hatch some chicks. Unfortunately, she's always been very flighty. I'm afraid she won't let any of her chicks, once hatched, near us. Even if we do manage to get close enough to handle them, I worry she'll freak out and teach her chicks to freak out. We raise chickens mainly for pleasure, so we want friendly birds!

Does anyone have any suggestions about taming methods?
Or do I have to wait until they've outgrown mom to start taming them down?
Or should I just surrender myself to the fact that these chicks just aren't going to be friendly with a mama like that?
The chicks' father was a very friendly silkie, if that has anything to do with this. Maybe the friendly gene will get passed down?

I was also wondering what the fertility and hatchability rate is for eggs fathered by an amateur rooster, brooded by an amateur hen, during the colder winter months. Probably not very high.
The eggs have the odds stacked against them, but seeing as our hen went broody during the winter with a rooster around, I'd like to see what Mother Nature can do.


Thanks!

You are very right in that the chicks will not be tame at all because the mother will not let them near you and they will be very scared and almost impossible to catch. I just waited till they were full-grown and I handled them off the roost and I hand feed them treats and they are starting to get a little bit tamer. It will just take time but it is such a fun experience to watch a broody take care of her young. I personally think the chicks turn out much healthier also because they seem to run around a lot instead of being kept in a brooder.