Keep chickens cool in summer

[jennym]

Hi,

 

More questions, I'm full of them today

 

I have 3 new POLs that we got 2 weeks ago from a breeder that doesn't handle the birds very much. Our was very tame within a few days and I can stroke her and pick her up pretty easily. The and are still very cautious and I haven't managed to pick them up (or even stroke/touch them) since we got them. I'd like to get to the point where I can pick them up regularly so I can check their vents, crops etc and just feel their condition, so I'll notice if something changes. They are quick to approach me and will happily eat out of my hand but as soon as that hand moves towards them they squawk and shy away like I'm a giant hungry fox I sit with them each day for a while and hand feed them, and sometimes sit down on the ground with them while they peck around.

 

Any advice on how to start catching/handling the more flighty ladies?

 

Thanks,

Jen

[poppy ben grace]

Hi, i would continue with what you are doing by spending time each day with treats etc, i am sure they will learn to trust you soon. If you want to give them a health check you could always wait untill bedtime, when they have roosted, then get one out and have a look at her. They are much more docile at this time and are far less likely to become stressed when you are handling them. Hope this helps!

[jennym]

That's a great idea Poppy, thanks. Think I'll leave them in peace for now and hope they learn to trust me, but if they don't improve I'll fish them out through the egg door if I want to check them over. My big concern at the moment is flystrike, given the weather, but I manage to peek under their 'knickers' every day as they are pecking around, pooping, or when they fluff up to dustbathe

[Olly]

You're quite right to try and 'tame' them a bit, it will make it much easier to pick them up for health inspections. If they are not laying yet, then they will be flighty - once they start to lay, they are usually a bit calmer and should crouch down when you approach (not all hens obey this rule though!). Taking them out at night one at a time is a good idea, as you can check them over and also they will get more used to being handled when they are in a drowsy state. I sometimes wonder whether they wake up in the morning thinking 'was that a bad dream?'!

 

They will respond to food, if they're new then they may not have got the hang of treats yet, but that is another way to get them used to being near you, and eventually if you want, they will probably eat from your hand. Warning: once they have learned this, you will never be able to eat so much as a biscuit in the garden again. You might choose not to follow this one - I don't. I don't like having a beak stuck in my cup of tea while I'm at the garden table!

[chickanne]

Patience!

That's all you need. Point about them improving when they crouch is certainly true.

 

Soon, you'll be like Olly - can't go out in the garden without being followed by the "raptors"! Just remember to warn your friends when they come for drinks and nibbles in the garden.

 

[Chicken shack]

Meal worms They worked for me. I mean my chooks.

[jennym]

I don't like having a beak stuck in my cup of tea while I'm at the garden table!

 

They are already well used to eating sweetcorn from my hand - they recognize it instantly, and I think they'd run through the fires of hell for it. It's actually quite difficult to hand feed them sweetcorn as they get very pushy and aggressive. I try to sneak in a few kernels when one is near me and the others aren't looking. If there's more than one around they tend to take chunks out of my hand in the rush

 

If they are not laying yet, then they will be flighty - once they start to lay, they are usually a bit calmer and should crouch down when you approach (not all hens obey this rule though!).

 

They have not started laying yet, so here's another good reason to wish for the eggs to start coming!

 

Thanks for your help everyone.

[surfer_chicken]

They should crouch a day or two before laying as well, so it's a nice sign that's something exciting's on it's way

 

I find tame-ness is also related to personality, so if one of your hens is particularly skittish naturally (like one of mine, Mildred), they may never be very fond of cuddles. One of my old chooks, Tango , hated being held in the air, but if her feet were on the ground she would happily sit there and be manhandled for ages

[Chortle Chook]

I think that perhaps some chooks will always be more nervous than others and suspect that the breed makes a difference. I have one little girl who will even come to her indivual name and can be called away from the others for treats but if I try to pick her up she squawks and struggles. The others are fine. (She is a Frizzle and my others are Silkies).

[jennym]

One of my old chooks, Tango , hated being held in the air, but if her feet were on the ground she would happily sit there and be manhandled for ages

 

That's interesting - something to try in future if they don't enjoy being lifted. At the moment I can hardly touch a feather so anything would be an improvement! I spent a good two hours out there today though and the two flighty girls both hopped up on chairs very close to me, perched on the back, fluffed up and roosted for a while. Too cute (at least until one left a little momento behind ). Must be a good sign if they choose to have their afternoon snooze right beside me!

[cheekymonkey200]

I've got agree wit Chickanne- its all about patience. I couldn't even touch my girls for the first week because they were so nervous (aside from our little escapee within an hour of coming home!) I just sat by the run with a cup of tea and a book for a couple of hours a day, occasionally offering some corn through the bars until they got used to my presence. We bought some orange plastic event fencing which we made a little pen with and then just sat in there with them and some treats. Eventually they got used to me and now they come charging up to me all the time. They free range when I'm around and follow me about...such progress! Maude still doesn't like to be held or carried around but I think that's just her character. Mildred sits on my feet squeaking for a cuddle!

 

I think the two things to bear in mind are getting them simply used to your presence and then associating your presence with snacks- its a sure fire way to a chicken's heart!

 

Good luck!

[chickanne]

Surfer_c and cheekym are right about personality.

 

Louise will sit on my hand as daft as you like, perfectly relaxed. On the other hand, Thelma is always tense (legs rigid) although she is not struggling. They like to sit up on the compost bins about a metre above the ground and Louise will happily fly onto my arm like a bird of prey from about a metre away. (Really freaked my neighbour when she was in charge of hen-housekeeping one weekend!) She will sit on my shoulder as I carry Thelma to the grass pen.

 

For all of this, Thelma is the one that is easiest to catch when you go to pick them up whilst free ranging. Louise enjoys the "Benny Hill chase" far too much!

 

They will take a while to get used to you. I often pass Louise to a visitor and expect her to behave but she seems to recognise that she can play up then! I find sitting on a step as I hand feel them allows them to jump onto my lap (shoulder/head) and off. Like all of us, they want to be in control of their own destiny. I've had them for 11 months now and they are still learning new tricks and teaching me a thing or two - but that's part of the fun...

[Henchanted]

Hi Jenny

 

the breeder we got our hens from gave me, what I consider, some extremely good advice and tips, one of which was not to handle or expect to handle the girls too much as the risk of them damaging their egg-laying mechanism is quite high if they get in a flap while you are struggling to keep hold of them.

 

My kids (and I ) are trained to wait for them to come to us which they do to see if we have any treats like (those extremely good- high in protein) mealworms which are irresistable and then we take the opportunity to stroke them and only once a week to hold them and check them over, give them a dusting of DE, check/do wing clipping etc

 

I love our hens

[jennym]

Hi Jenny

 

the breeder we got our hens from gave me, what I consider, some extremely good advice and tips, one of which was not to handle or expect to handle the girls too much as the risk of them damaging their egg-laying mechanism is quite high if they get in a flap while you are struggling to keep hold of them.

 

Excellent advice again Henchanted, you've been very helpful today! I definitely prefer the thought of them coming to me by choice rather than chasing & tackling them I think what you've said makes me more inclined to go with surfer-chicken's method of just checking them over close to the ground so there's less panic and an easy quick-release if necessary. Of course if they choose to hop up onto my lap/arm/shoulder, I won't object

[auntielizzie]

You're quite right to try and 'tame' them a bit, it will make it much easier to pick them up for health inspections. If they are not laying yet, then they will be flighty - once they start to lay, they are usually a bit calmer and should crouch down when you approach (not all hens obey this rule though!). Taking them out at night one at a time is a good idea, as you can check them over and also they will get more used to being handled when they are in a drowsy state. I sometimes wonder whether they wake up in the morning thinking 'was that a bad dream?'!

 

They will respond to food, if they're new then they may not have got the hang of treats yet, but that is another way to get them used to being near you, and eventually if you want, they will probably eat from your hand. Warning: once they have learned this, you will never be able to eat so much as a biscuit in the garden again. You might choose not to follow this one - I don't. I don't like having a beak stuck in my cup of tea while I'm at the garden table!

 

If only somebody had told me this before It certainly would be a bit more relaxing sitting in the garden without Betty Boo hurling herself at the omlet fencing doing some kind of sideways bungee even when you haven't got anything to eat

[jennym]

It certainly would be a bit more relaxing sitting in the garden without Betty Boo hurling herself at the omlet fencing doing some kind of sideways bungee even when you haven't got anything to eat

 

 

We've slowed down on the treats now as they are more comfortable with us, plus Lucy had some tummy trouble which I think was due to too much sweetcorn in the first couple of days. We've also got some mealworms now (still on sale at Wilkinsons, bargain price!) which aren't so bulky or sugary, but are appreciated just as much!

 

The and are still not at all affectionate and won't let me touch them, but they do like to be nearby - they often perch on the chair next to me or have a snooze in the dirt near my feet, and sometimes all 3 follow me around like I'm the flock leader The will hop onto my lap for treats but I wouldn't say she 'enjoys' a cuddle - tolerates it though, when I feel the need!