when can you tell disposition

[katiekuj]

I have three chicks - and when we reach into the brooder they all scatter and we have to grab for them. There is no walking up and on to our hands. Once they are in our hands 2/3 chicks can be calmed and seem to enjoy being held, but one seems really freaked and flaps her wings, she has a hard time relaxing. We interact a lot with them, their brooder is in our family room and my kids are constantly looking in and talking to them. They come outside twice daily with us.
Really would like to get these girls as friendly as possible - is it too early to be judging their disposition? (They are all one week old). When did your chicks behavior seem to remain constant?

 

[Fred's Hens]

It's early. The chicks are born with a fear instinct. It keeps them alive. Learning, slowly, that they've nothing to fear from you takes lots of time. Yes, some personality traits exhibit early, but these can also change later in life as the hens/roos mature. The chicken is near the bottom of the food chain and hunted by land and air for thousands of years by predators. These necessary fear instincts are needed and will be needed in their future. They will not and should not all go away.

 

[RoeDylanda]

Well put, Fred's Hens!

My little ladies warmed up to me over about two weeks of offering feed from my hand 2-3x/day and always moving slowly and gently near them. two of the six still peck me every single time I reach in there, and they're 6 weeks old now.

Good luck!

 

[juliette2009]

Fred's Hens :

It's early. The chicks are born with a fear instinct. It keeps them alive. Learning, slowly, that they've nothing to fear from you takes lots of time. Yes, some personality traits exhibit early, but these can also change later in life as the hens/roos mature. The chicken is near the bottom of the food chain and hunted by land and air for thousands of years by predators. These necessary fear instincts are needed and will be needed in their future. They will not and should not all go away.

Exactly!

 

[miraclz5]

We have some of the same issues that you described (in part due to 3 year old and 6 year old hands being put in the brooder)....however, we have one, who from day 1 at age 3 days old decided she was going to the "house pet" chicken....she has been able to fly out of the box from day one and wants to be wherever we are.....sitting on our lap, on our shoulder, on the back of my chair!

Since we have ones that run away, we have gone Chick 101 and are putting our hands slowly in the box several times a day, talking or singing to them softly and encouraging them to eat out of our hands. Several are feeling much more comfortable.....but just like other animals, some or going to be more shy and reserved regardless of what we do!

Good Luck!