Wild birds...

[Panhandler80]

So, my goal was to build a Chicken palace that left them without much help from humans. I succeeded. They literally didn't need nothing for months. As a result, and human nature with all that's going on, they don't get much attention these days.

If you had to get a hold of one right now, good luck!!!!!!

They aren't laying yet. Probably 4-5 weeks out. I'm hoping that this forced daily interaction will calm them down.

Or maybe they get really up tight at this age???

I've got some chairs that we bring in maybye 2-3x a week and feed treats. about half the flock wheat in your hand, and there's one that can barely pet.

If I had to get a hold of one from medical examination, I better be in full falconry gear with some goggles.

Thanks.

 

[Ruthster55]

Are your chickens at your home or are they someplace else? If they're not at your home, I can see the difficulty in being with them regularly.

Is your goal to have a semi-feral flock? The only semi-feral flocks that I have observed are multi-generational rather than composed of chickens that are all of the same age.

There are often more conflicts in new flocks where the chickens are all the same age, especially if there are two or more cockerels.

I don't think that visiting the chicken yard 2 or 3 times a week is enough.

The only way to tame a same-age flock of chickens is by giving them attention which means being out in the chicken yard frequently, and also managing the cockerels if there are more than one. You can just use regular feed as "treats." I go out in the chicken yard at least three or four times a day for a few minutes each time. In the morning, I feed and water everybody. The midday visits are to make sure some young chicks have enough feed. At dusk, I go out and feed everybody and water if necessary. Not much feed is used in any one visit, but the chickens know that I am where the feed comes from. I just drop the feed in multiple spots in the yard so that the younger chickens can eat away from the dominant older hens.

In multigenerational flocks, the older hens tend to reprimand the youngsters by pecking. Semi-feral flocks that get little attention from humans rely on high levels of broodiness among the hens to perpetuate the flock. Chickens that take care of their own needs almost exclusively will often roost in trees. “If the human never shushes us into the henhouse, that tree up there looks like a really safe place to roost....”

Semi-feral chickens also tend to send their keepers on an Easter Egg hunt when it’s time for breakfast because the eggs are more likely to be in a hidden nest out in the woods somewhere rather than in a nest box.

Am a bit surprised with this post because I think most people’s chickens have been getting a bit of extra attention lately while people spend more time at home.

What breeds are your chickens? Pictures would help.

 

[aart]

If I had to get a hold of one from medical examination, I better be in full falconry gear with some goggles.

Or go out after dark and grab them off the roost.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They aren't laying yet. Probably 4-5 weeks out. I'm hoping that this forced daily interaction will calm them down.

Or maybe they get really up tight at this age???

Actually this is the time when they're most skittish and flighty. They'll calm down once they begin laying and hormones settle down, however since they weren't handled a lot as chicks, that might not be as "calm" as you'd see in some other flocks.

 

[NeoHomesteader]

Our flock was hand raised, but now that their coop and run is built with an additional ~5000 sq foot pasture. 33 gal automatic waterer and giant feed containers, we are not spending as much time with them and it shows pretty quick. They still come running when we whistle but they dont jump in your hand anymore. The JGs and Black asians will come right up, but wont be touched. The RIRs and buff orps will let you scratch their chests, if you squat down long enough. The oricanas, colombs and whatever else we have never were hand friendly.

I have not had to resort to falconry gloves for any of the birds, even the guineas and turkeys. Getting hands on the guineas is not easy, have to get them when they try "walking" up the 6' fence lol.

 

[Panhandler80]

Actually this is the time when they're most skittish and flighty. They'll calm down once they begin laying and hormones settle down, however since they weren't handled a lot as chicks, that might not be as "calm" as you'd see in some other flocks.

That's what I was wondering. We I did spend a good amount of time with them... When we do. But probably not frequently enough.

 

[Panhandler80]

Are your chickens at your home or are they someplace else? If they're not at your home, I can see the difficulty in being with them regularly.

Is your goal to have a semi-feral flock? The only semi-feral flocks that I have observed are multi-generational rather than composed of chickens that are all of the same age.

There are often more conflicts in new flocks where the chickens are all the same age, especially if there are two or more cockerels.

I don't think that visiting the chicken yard 2 or 3 times a week is enough.

The only way to tame a same-age flock of chickens is by giving them attention which means being out in the chicken yard frequently, and also managing the cockerels if there are more than one. You can just use regular feed as "treats." I go out in the chicken yard at least three or four times a day for a few minutes each time. In the morning, I feed and water everybody. The midday visits are to make sure some young chicks have enough feed. At dusk, I go out and feed everybody and water if necessary. Not much feed is used in any one visit, but the chickens know that I am where the feed comes from. I just drop the feed in multiple spots in the yard so that the younger chickens can eat away from the dominant older hens.

In multigenerational flocks, the older hens tend to reprimand the youngsters by pecking. Semi-feral flocks that get little attention from humans rely on high levels of broodiness among the hens to perpetuate the flock. Chickens that take care of their own needs almost exclusively will often roost in trees. “If the human never shushes us into the henhouse, that tree up there looks like a really safe place to roost....”

Semi-feral chickens also tend to send their keepers on an Easter Egg hunt when it’s time for breakfast because the eggs are more likely to be in a hidden nest out in the woods somewhere rather than in a nest box.

Am a bit surprised with this post because I think most people’s chickens have been getting a bit of extra attention lately while people spend more time at home.

What breeds are your chickens? Pictures would help.

They are at the house. I guess we just need to spend a little more time with them. Maybe some of it can be attributed to them getting close to ready to lay.