Solving Omlet Smart Auto Door Timing Issues with Alexa Routines

[Emma L]

We've had our three beautiful girls for a couple of months now, and Gladys is really tame, if I so much as sit down in the garden she jumps onto my knee to see if I've got anything nice to eat, but Gertie and Fanny won't have any of it! They will come and eat out of my hand but if I try to slowly bring my hand around to get them to crouch so I can pick them up they bolt. They used to crouch for me when we first got them - are they just getting too canny and refusing to be cuddled now? Is there anything I can do to make them less jumpy?

I had to wash Gertie's bottom a month or so ago because she wasn't very well and she was most upset, d'you think she's still in a sulk?!?!

 

I know that it probably isn't 'natural' for them to want a cuddle, so I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that they don't want to be picked up!

 

Thanks

[lisaroo2]

I'm sure perseverence is the answer here. I've only had my girls a week and they don't like being picked up/cuddled either. But I am also pretty certain that they will eventually, just gotta give em time...

 

I didn't think chooks had that long a memory for Gertie to still be sulking, who knows...

 

I don't think I'd be worrying just yet but somebody else will be along soon with more experience with chooks than I, so they'll hopefully shed some light on the matter...

[missuscluck]

Im not sure its a natural instinct for chooks to want to be cuddled, however they will get in the swing of comming to you if there is a tasty treat on offer.

 

They are feeling more confidant now, more so than when you got them, as they are feeling more secure in there new surroundings which has got to be a good thing. This is why they are hopping off pronto when you try to pick them up.

 

I should be content with the fact they will eat from your hand. Im sure eventually they will want to sit on your knee and have a nosy to see whats on offer.

 

Enjoy your new chooks

[Egluntyne]

They will be easy to handle at night when they are drowsy.

 

Why not go out a couple of nights and lift them out of their sleeping quarters and hold them and speak to them.

 

They will be quite amenable to it, plus it will get you used to handling them, and them used to you.

 

Worth a try.

[Lovemychooks]

I agree with Eglutine. Two of my new chickens are the same...they will jump out the way if I try and stroke them so I now pick them up and talk to them as it is getting dark. Much easier and they are getting better with being handled

[Roxanne]

Two of my Omlet girls, Hermione and Harriet are really easy to pick up and handle but the other two have to be caught!

The ex-batts actually come over for attention and are quite appy to be picked up, in fact one of them actually follows me around when I am in the hen house.

I suppose hens are like children, some love cuddles, others can't wait to get out of your arms and carry on playing/watching/reading/running etc etc etc!

[sheik]

When my chickens stoop they are easy to pick up and will usually stay still for a while, unless they see food or something interesting on the ground, at which point they start to scratch!

 

Two are also now happy to walk onto my hand / arm / foot when corn is used to entice them, which means they can be lifted up and they just perch on me. So not really being "cuddled", but they have the freedom to jump off at any time (which they won't as long as there is food about!).

 

/\dam

[Ain't Nobody Here]

We did a lot of cuddling at bedtime when we first got the girls - now they're fairly content to have a cuddle (as long as you hold their wings firm ).

 

My son's always bringing one or other chicken into the house for a visit .

[chickenanne]

I think some chickens eventually enjoy being handled, but most will at best put up with it, some will actively hate it.

I'm not convinced it's particularly fair to those which actively avoid it to handle them for the sake of it; the time when they are easiest to catch and they find least distressing is when they've gone to roost for the night. This is a good time to get them used to being handled so they're not scared - I think this is important to do because sometimes you do need to handle them to check health /apply lice powders /etc etc etc. But I'm not convinced you can really teach ALL chickens to really enjoy a cuddle.

[Emma L]

Thanks everyone, I'll just have to be patient I guess!! I don't want to upset them but I do want to be able to check them when I need to if they're not well.

I've tried giving them a little stroke at night when they've gone to bed but they get a bit twitchy and cluck indignantly so I was worried about them not wanting to go to bed in case the side comes off and a big hand comes in every night...!!

 

I'll try waiting a bit longer until they're really sleepy and then maybe try and say hello to them regularly so that they get used to it.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!

[MedusA]

When I got my Silkies, we made a determined effort to cuddle them regularly to get them used to being handled. One of them, Muggle is so tame, I'm sure she thinks she is a human!

 

We've also tried to cuddle the hybrids more too, and that seems to be working, so perseverance is definitely the key