What am I doing wrong?

[BlackRose89]

My chicks were friendly and ate out of my hand, except the Wyandottes, they have never ate from my hand. Now half of them are big enough they are jumping out of the box and I just had all kinds of trouble catching it. The box is now covered but the chicks are getting way more wild and I'm worried bc they are going to free range so being friendly is extremely important. I spend time with my hands in the box every day and feeding them, the white leghorn is the most friendly and even she is regressing I have 12 chicks, I don't know what else to do, they will be moving outside before long.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

they go through a faze like that, call it the terrible twos. they would be getting independent from their mama now too but they will still be friendly.

 

[BlackRose89]

There's nothing I can do? They go on full scale freak out when I start to reach into the box, u would think I was a predator

 

[Granny Hatchet]

maybe they are in too small a space and they see your hand coming over them . think it is a predator. do you have room for them to see your hand coming and palm up with a tid bit in it before you get to close?

 

[BlackRose89]

And the Wyandottes are so much more standoffish than the others... I tried to pick breeds known to be friendly, Wyandottes, buff orps, Americauna, and lights Brahmas... But I ended up with a white leghorn, Rhode Island Red, and a black sex star too, and the red and leghorn are the least panicked by me even if they aren't really friendly

 

[BlackRose89]

No they are a bit crowded in their brooder box, they weren't but as they get bigger it's getting more cramped

 

[BlackRose89]

They are in the biggest tote Walmart had, I could hardly get it in my car to bring it home, and it has slightly less floor space than the cardboard box they were in. But coop is big, I just have more work to do bc the doors don't close right (warped plywood)

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Agree with granny on both counts. I know your concern is having them out in a big open area and being unable to approach them, but as strange as it sounds, when they are out in a bigger/more open area (moved outside) you'll be less scary - they will know they can get away and you can get down lower (sitting on the ground)and be still instead of being this big scary thing that is over the top of them reaching down at them in an area they can't escape from. They have to have space for their curiosity to override their fear. I realize you said htey will be free-range, but are you intending to transition them with the use of an outdoor enclosure? If so, that can be a great tool in your efforts to socialize and tame them before they are all out free rangers.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You may want/need to consider breaking them into two (or more) groups by using more than one tote - how many birds, total, is it you are brooding? Overcrowding is an issue on several counts.

 

[BlackRose89]

I'm nervous to break them up bc I've read I'd have to reintroduce them to each other of I did that. I'm expecting them to go outside to the big coop I made in the next two weeks or so.