trust

[lilarabookworm]

how do you get your chicks or chickens to trust you????????????

 

[ginbart]

Lots of treats. I give them oatmeal uncooked and they love it, not much just about 1/2 a cup. Thats how I got them to come to me. And mine like rice, they only get that if we have leftovers. When I bring out the rice I put it in my hand and they get it out of my hand. I still can only get one to let my hold her, shes an EE.

When they were chicks I would hold they everyday.

 

[sunnydee]

Yes, I agree............ we hardly ever go out with out a little something for them. Now when we do go out with nothing, they follow us around like little puppy dogs! And if we are not careful they will fly up on our shoulders, heads, etc just to inspect and make sure we don't have anything!

 

[gritsar]

Often them treats from a bowl at first. Then instead of handing or throwing the treats to them, sit quietly with the bowl of treats in your lap. Then wait. They know you've got the treats and they know they want them. Soon one little brave soul with hop up on your lap to help themselves. Move slowly and start petting their chest.
The others will watch the brave one and soon you'll have a bunch of chickens in your lap.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Yep, it's taken a while but I now have the wildest, one-eyed EE bantam roo eating out of my hand. And he's the most skittish bird I've ever seen.

 

[digitS']

Out of 4 pullets, only 1 has always been shy. One of the others is curious about everything I do and wants to get close to me. She does not like to be picked up, however - I'm always pushing her out of the way but I'm not allowed to pick her up

.

Another is very, very easy to walk up to and pick up. The 3rd is a little more reserved but always easy to touch, at least.

The 4th one (really shy) was the last to lay and seemed to have no idea where the nest was. After dragging a couple eggs out from under the roost

I felt I simply had to start catching her and putting her in the nestbox. I did this whenever the opportunity presented itself, she had no chance of getting away. She learned that not only was the nestbox a very interesting place but I didn't do one BAD thing to her after she was caught and held.

She's been laying for about 15 days now (in a nest) and I had to push her out of my way tonight when the birds were crowding around me. I think I've won over the shy one. Oh, and I've usually got a little something good to eat when I show up at the coop

.

Steve

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

I handle my chicks very often. I am home all day and I just sit in there with them. I find it helps me, I call it animal therapy.

Also I never got out without a little treat for them. Most of them know I always have yummies so they know. I often have several on my lap within a min or two. Time is the key. I got a few older layers and they are just now starting to trust me. I find they like uncooked oatmeal, split dry peas.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I have found canned corn does it for me. They absolutely love it and now I have to watch that I don't step on their feet because they crowd up so close to me, even if I come into the coop empty-handed.

And if I scoop up a handful of food that is in their feeder, they think it must be so much better only because I have it in my hand. Even if they weren't just eating it, now all of them just HAVE TO HAVE IT!

It's great when they are so tame! Good luck! Genie

 

[Red]

Spend a lot of time sat with them, reading or just sat...that's the way all mine 'made ffriends' with me