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[Cyber Chook]

Hi everyone

 

I'm feeling a bit down today, thinking about my chooks and wondering if it's a bit too late to get them to be a bit friendlier.

 

This is the story so far:

 

I got my five young girls in April. I'd broken both arms in the January, so I was very, VERY careful moving around the garden, and also have a problem right arm, which I have to be extra careful with and must avoid cuts and so on, after a mastectomy. Well, this all meant that I didn't pick the girls up that much, to begin with, and now they're all quite flighty, and run off looking most indignant if I try to pick them up. If i manage to hold one, they hold themselves tensely and look around at the others as if to say "Heeeeeelp!" and then they leap out of my arms after a flappy feathery wriggle and stomp off. They do follow me around the garden, but it's complete cupboard love, I fear.

 

I see pictures here of people holding their beloved girls, and I feel a bit . Is it too late to get my gals to calm down, do you think? Also, when I hold corn in my hand for them to peck at, they invariably take a chunk of nice tender palm flesh with it. How do other people do this? I've seen the photos!! I know you do do it!!!

 

Thanks everyone

 

Caroline

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Poor you, you've had a rough time recently . My 3 aren't exactly clamouring to be cuddled but will just about suffer it (if I hold them tight ).

 

Have you tried just sitting with a tub of corn or similar on your lap? If you can get them to sit on your lap or beside you, you can stroke them and try a gentle cuddle to get them used to being held.

 

Or how about bringing them in one at a time at bedtime? We used to bring one in after they'd gone to bed and were drowsy. They never complained and seemed quite happy to sit on our laps and be stroked.

[Cyber Chook]

how about bringing them in one at a time at bedtime? We used to bring one in after they'd gone to bed and were drowsy. They never complained and seemed quite happy to sit on our laps and be stroked.

 

Thanks for responding - I thought I might not get any replies, what with Christmas 'n' all. I'll do the sitting with corn, that sounds nice, and when it's warmer and drier I'll do that. But with the next bit, do you mean you actually bring them indoors? Don't they poo on you? I'd love to give it a go, but it had never occurred to me, and now I'm wondering how you don't end up with dollops on you

 

Caroline

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Yes, we brought them indoors . We don't do it any more, to be honest, the novelty wore off after a while . But, we honestly didn't have more than one or two "accidents" indoors - we put an old towel on our laps just in case!

[Cyber Chook]

Fantastic! I'll give that a go, with a nice thick towel firmly in place.

 

My husband will raise an eyebrow at this one

 

Caroline

[Egluntyne]

Some of mine are a bit flighty and aren't bothered about being cuddles.

 

Do you feel able to stroke them through the pop hole once they have settled for the night? It will get them used to being touched, but while they are drowsy they won't make a massive fuss. After a few goes at that, you could lift them out and hold them. They won't flap off into the night.

 

Once they have become accustomed to being held they should become a bit friendlier.

[cordelia]

mine aren't that friendly either, and we only managed to pick one up in the first week....I'm going to try when its warmer...as its too wet now.. (and we have snow)

 

best of luck...

[Cyber Chook]

Thanks Cordelia and Egluntine. It's good to know it's not just me with moody madams, and I'll start up the bedtime strokes (which I did at first and have since forgotten all about) when it's a bit warmer.

 

Cheers everyone, feeling brighter already

 

Caroline

[Hen Watch]

Hi Caroline,

 

I have an old kitchen apron I wear specifically for holding the chooks so I don't get mess on me. Having said that I don't pick my girls up for cuddles at all and my lot don't really like it (probably because I've never done it routinely).

 

It doesn't really bother me at all. I know that I can pick up them up if I need to check them over for lice etc. and I can hold them well enough that they don't escape, but other than that I don't feel the need to tame them further.

 

My lot do eat out of my hand with ease and don't peck any holes in me, and that goes for both the chooks with the sharp beaks and the rounded chipped beaks.

[Cyber Chook]

I wonder why mine take chunks out of my hand? I tried again today and am now in agony! They're like little dinosaurs

 

Caroline

[Mrs Frugal]

Hi Caroline ,

 

My Sussex girls aren't very friendly either. My original two, Jenny and Clarry used to be very easy to handle but this may be because Ollie wouldn't leave them alone so they got used to being tucked under his armpits as he trundled round the garden with them!! The Sussex girls are quite flighty and difficult to catch but if we persevere, we can pick them up for a few minutes. They soon flap and kick though!

[badgerbluebadger]

Food and more food - My chickens now love me as I am their food master

 

They now see me and come running over to me!

 

Over time are getting used to being picked up - I do think Ella is much more at ease to be picked up than Sam. But hey some people are shy too!

[chickenanne]

I echo the handling them at night plan... they're so docile then that it is much less stressful for all. Try to make sure you're holding them properly, too. Also, food works wonders.

But to be honest, ours only put up with cuddles etc, they don't really want to be fussed over.

[KAZAROO]

Some of mine are a bit flighty and aren't bothered about being cuddles.

 

Do you feel able to stroke them through the pop hole once they have settled for the night? It will get them used to being touched, but while they are drowsy they won't make a massive fuss. After a few goes at that, you could lift them out and hold them. They won't flap off into the night.

 

Once they have become accustomed to being held they should become a bit friendlier.

 

 

Mine are too friendly- too many treats

[Cyber Chook]

But to be honest, ours only put up with cuddles etc, they don't really want to be fussed over.

 

I think that's the thing, really, with mine. It isn't that I haven't been picking them up over the past few months, and they do constantly follow me around ever-hopeful for treats, but they've never seemed to particularly enjoy me picking them up.

 

Unless, maybe, if you have young children who pick them up a lot from the very start, and "march around the garden with them tucked under their arm" (as Kate says ), from what people have said, it seems as if it's pretty much the norm for it to be 99% cupboard love, and 1% merely tolerating the indignity of being picked up. I do love their outraged faces as I determinedly stroke them.

 

Thanks all, and a very merry Christmas to you, unless you hate it, in which case, Bah Humbug and it will soon be over.

 

Caroline

[Janty]

We bring ours into the conservatory and sit with them on our laps in the evening as others have suggested.

 

Regarding them taking chunks out of your hands...ours used to but we started feeding them sweetcorn which you can hold between the thumb nail and the nail of your first finger. That way if they peck they will get nail. Ours soon learnt that unless they picked the nail and not the corn, I wouldn't release my grip on the corn and they wouldn't get it.

 

Even Buffy, my giant, eagle like brahma is gentler now. She still shouts at me but at least she doesn't take half my fingers off.

 

 

[Cyber Chook]

That's fantastic! I don't know if I'm brave enough, but it sounds a hoot

 

What a good way to train them. I'll try to grow tough, long nails - I have osteoporosis (after chemo in '06) and I've found that my nails are quite bendy these days. I think I might just enjoy the mental image of you doing that, and stick to throwing the corn down on the ground

 

Caroline

[Saronne]

I really like my hens, but I'm sure their 'affection' is mainly cupboard love. I tend to carry their corn treats around in an orange plastic cup. The hens ignore me until they see that cup, then come running and will sit on my knee to eat. At that time only do they tolerate a bit of stroking.

[mostin]

I wonder why mine take chunks out of my hand? I tried again today and am now in agony! They're like little dinosaurs

 

Caroline

 

When my girls start getting a bit rowdy and pecky I put my hand on their back and flatten them down to the ground and dominate them. They peck much more gently after that.

 

it may not work with your girls, but it may be worth a try.