Sam Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Hello everyone I've recently noticed that my Black Star is really scared of everything! All of my other girls let me get near them and are a lot easier to pick up. However, Marmite dashes about avoiding being caught and ever when pigeons/seaguls fly over she dashed across the garden and ducks down really low and just freezes while the other girls just carry on their routine. Shes a really timid chicken and shes scared of everything. Shes only around 25 weeks old and I don't know what to do! I know if they get scared they don't lay very well so I'm not sure if she will ever start laying the way she is I pick her out of her nest box at night when shes relaxed so she gets used to me and it's gradually getting better, she now eats of my hand like the others have been doing since day 1! Is there anything I can do for her nerves of birds flying over? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 Oh and also there are a lot of fireworks going off tonight of course, will they be scared of these? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Once she starts laying she will probably become more confident. As for when, I had a hybrid that didn't start until she was 34 weeks old and a pure breed that was over a year, they'll start when they are ready Fireworks don't tend to bother them, don't worry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 Thats just what I wanted to hear Thank you very much Space Chick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burtie14 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 I've found that some hens are just more naturally nervous than others as part of their character. In our house, Jim is still terrified of almost everything, while Betty is literally fearless. But they both seem perfectly happy in their own way. I think you're definitely taking the right approach with Marmite, the main thing is for her to feel comfortable with you, and she'll certainly get more confident as she gets older - but it might just be that deep down she'll always be a bit of a yellow chicken. Nothing wrong with that at all, as long as she doesn't seem distressed or withdrawn, it's just part of who she is. And no, chickens don't seem in the slightest bothered by fireworks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Thanks for the replies and advice. Bought her in tonight and held her for 15 or so minutes and have been doing for a bit. She is still soooo scared of everything. She eats out of my hand but if I try to pick her up, she jumps/attempts to fly away! Is this just her in general? Are some chickens just generally scared? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forestchook Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Hi, My three are all complete wimps. Most of the time they retreat into the coop when I approach the run. Yesterday they did that when I went out to let them out to free range. They did not emerge again even after I had backed away to the otherside of the garden. I can only get near them when they are roosting or if I hold some food up to the pop hole (there has to be a wall between me and them). Being able to pick any of them up is a complete pipe dream. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella14 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 My Barnavelder was the same way for the first couple of months. Thankfully, over the last couple of weeks, she has gained confidence and is much more calm and settled. As a pure breed, she is no where near laying and from what I've learned that stage of development really helps develop calm and confidence, so I guess she can only get even better still! My two hybrids certainly blossomed when they started laying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
