They don’t like me 🙁

[MelindaEzell]

First of all let me say that I had no idea there’d be a difference between raising Bantams and full size chicks. My Bantam babies trusted me. They were a bit skittish but they came around enough for me to handle them. They watched me as much as I watched them. They eventually got to the point to where they voluntarily slept with me. Now, I’m raising 3 week old Black Star chicks and they DO NOT LIKE ME AT ALL! When they see me, they run as full speed as they possibly can from me. When I put my hand in there, you’d think I put a Leopard in there. When I finally get one, that baby fights SO HARD! They just aren’t warming up to me at all. They’re growing faster than my Bantams did. I’m just so disappointed right now. I’m worried I’m going to have 4 hens that want nothing to do with me. I come in and talk to them, feed them from my hands, and just sit by them. Not working. Is there something different I need to do with these babies?sorry the picture quality is back. It’s hard to get good pics of these babies, plus I’m in the middle of cleaning out their house. Lol

 

[fluffycrow]

I'm probably not the right person to give advice on this, as I don't really care if my chicks or adults like me. Are you looking into the brooder from above, and do you reach in from above? That's quite frightening to a chicken, it imitates a predator. Food is your best friend here. Some other people might be able to give you better advice, but as long as they aren't deathly afraid of you, which in my experience also comes with age (they tend to mellow out a little) I don't get the hype with needing your chicken to be glued to your leg like a dog

 

[Hucklekree]

They are in their weird teen aged stage.

But some breeds are known to be more friendly than others from the get go. I personally aim to keep my chickens wary of humans by interacting with them as needed and being friendly and gentle but not desensitizing them to threats. I have to keep mine that way so they stay predator aware and know when to run from unfamiliar things.

Even so, I still have some that manage to be friendly all on their own and able to stay alive so as I said some breeds have a predisposition to being more personable.

 

[MelindaEzell]

I'm probably not the right person to give advice on this, as I don't really care if my chicks or adults like me. Are you looking into the brooder from above, and do you reach in from above? That's quite frightening to a chicken, it imitates a predator. Food is your best friend here. Some other people might be able to give you better advice, but as long as they aren't deathly afraid of you, which in my experience also comes with age (they tend to mellow out a little) I don't get the hype with needing your chicken to be glued to your leg like a dog

Well, I want them to like me because I want to be able to handle them safely. For their sake as well as mine. These aren’t meat chickens, nor are they strictly for eggs. They are my pets as well. Anyhow, YES, I do reach in my brooder from above as that is the only way I have to do so. I did the same thing with my Bantams. I understand fully how that may be scary to them. I do feed them from hand a little every day.

 

[MelindaEzell]

They are in their weird teen aged stage.

But some breeds are known to be more friendly than others from the get go. I personally aim to keep my chickens wary of humans by interacting with them as needed and being friendly and gentle but not desensitizing them to threats. I have to keep mine that way so they stay predator aware and know when to run from unfamiliar things.

Even so, I still have some that manage to be friendly all on their own and able to stay alive so as I said some breeds have a predisposition to being more personable.

It’s funny you say that because from day one my Bantam babies just KNEW how to react. The very first thing they saw that made them run FULL SPEED TO THEIR COOP ( they are very fast by the way. Lol ) was an airplane. That thing was HIGH too. I had to squint to see what it was. They ran from sparrows, hummingbirds, grackles, and now they seemed to have learned not to be so wary of them. They still see them and watch them, but they don’t run off like little dinosaurs to their coop as often. Thank you for your help.

 

[fluffycrow]

Handling them safely and them being friendly are two different things. I understand what you mean though, a very friendly bird will be easy to handle. That being said, you don't need to have a bird that is friendly towards you to be able to handle them safely. You just need a bird that is accepting of you. What you are doing now will eventually pay off, as mentioned above at this stage they're always a little wary, and breed most definitely matters. They might never reach the point your bantams have, but things will get better

 

[fluffycrow]

do you have a mat? I started by taking out my chicks and putting them on the mat they liked to explore and at first the big world was scary so they came to me I took them out on the mat maybe three times a day they got a longer time out once they started to get bigger in about a week they would would jump on my hands to come out and cuddle with me hardly playing on the mat anymore then as they got older they liked to explore more I started taking them outside they cuddled most of the time all my adult chickens are still lap chickens except my two cocks like to sit in my shoulders I hope your chicks come around!!

That's a good idea

 

[Holdthechicken]

My bantams are much more friendly than my large fowl (except for my lavender Orpington who has been raised with all bantams). That said all my more “skittish” chickens have become much more calm now that they are at the point of lay. My most skittish pullet is a gorgeous naked neck and I have had to check her out and just do so after she’s gone to roost at night, they are much more calm when it’s darker out.

That said, it’s more common for chickens to not want to be touched and held by humans than it is for them to want that type contact.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

First of all, I want to say don't give up on your attempts to befriend them. When my now 7-year-old Cuckoo Marans were 3 weeks old, they reacted exactly like your pullets currently do. They were literally "cuckoo", their fears were so extreme that I separated them from the golden sexlinks that were also in the brooder, because I didn't want the extreme fear reactions to transfer to the friendly sexlinks. However, soon after those Marans reached POL, they settled down immensely. I still have them, and they are among my most docile and friendliest hens.

I suspected my Marans chicks may have had a bad/fearful experience before I ever got them, and that may have happened with your chicks too. @fluffycrow is right that leaning over or reaching into a brooder from above causes an instinctual fear reaction, same as when a bird of prey does a flyover. Keep working with them, and they will learn you are their friend and protector. Don't lean over their brooder while standing, and don't ever reach quickly into their brooder. Start with slowly placing your hand holding a treat into the bottom of the brooder, away from the chicks. Leave your hand there until the chicks relax, then leave the treat and remove your hand. The next time, place your hand with treat into the brooder a little closer to the chicks. Again, leave your hand there until the chicks relax, then leave the treat and slowly remove your hand. Continue these slow steps by moving placing your hand with treat into the brooder until the chicks show no fear at all. These steps could take a few days or a few weeks; let your chicks be your guide. Don't grab the chicks to pick them up until they remain completely relaxed every time you place your hand in the brooder. When you reach the point they will take treats from the palm of your hand, you can gently pick them up. I understand you want your little chicks to be trusting NOW, but they need to learn to trust you at their own pace. This is no different than working with animals of other species. Some are completely trusting from the getgo, while others need more time. I 100% believe your chicks will turn out to be awesome pets that trust and adore you completely, the same as you adore them. Your patience and time are the keys.

 

[IvyBeans]

I purposefully got pet like breeds. 3 orpingtons and 2 Easter Eggers. All are super skittish. I’ve started being able to hold my hand very still and have them climb on it, but if I even twitch, they all scatter to the far side of the brooder. I’m hoping over time, they warm up.

In the beginning, I would grab them to check for pasty butt and such, I’ve stopped doing that.

They’re about 10 days old.