Taming chooks

Don't ask me. I'm still recovering from this morning's bloodbath! :oops:

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=24188&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Hi RR

We have the same prob here too.  Had our girlees four weeks now and they were (I think about 20wks?) when we got them - they have been laying happily since their arrival (aren't we lucky!?).

We've had to handle them from day one from out of box into house and from there to the separate temporary pen up to their fourth day when their new enclosed pen was placed by their house.  

They have always been skittish to humans and although they too will run to us when we see them in hope of food, when you go to stroke or pick them up they do run away.  Past couple of days seem to be more difficult to catch them - I feel I'm chasing them round garden which can't be good?  Still, I persevere and pick them up for quick cuddles, but sometimes they struggle and end up flapping to the floor.

I've tried the corn in the hand - yes, they do peck it and my hand too occasionally!  But doesn't make it any easier for picking them up.  I can feed them dandelion leaves or spaghetti by holding it out to them with fingers but if I try to pick them - they know and move away.

I haven't figured the way round this one yet!  :?

yer but poo is good for the veg patch!!

Good luck with the taming of the chook!

I wonder if you were to dangle spaghetti for them yours would become tamer any quicker?  

Yeah - they can be violent little peckers at times!  I can't say I like feeding that way too often - I value my hand too!  

I know what you mean about the poo - for every egg they lay for us they return the favour in 10 poos each - and add a 'mustard' poo too for added stink!

.....hope not too long for your eggies?  Ours have very red combs - how about yours?

I've never heard of such fussy chooks as ours.  They won't eat anything 'wet' i.e pasta, cooked veggies peelings, slugs, etc.  They will only eat corn on the cob if it's hanging up in their run but not if it's on the floor.

Tori will eat grapes but the other two won't even look at them.

We are giving them flubenvet at the moment and that's turning out to be fun

 

The only way we have found to give it to them is by mixing up a small bowl for each of them with mealworms for Tori and Lacy and corn for Fifi, a pinch of flubenvet and a little olive oil to make it stick.  The fun part is getting them to eat from their own bowls - it takes 3 of us to do it otherwise Tori will just push the others out of the way and eat the contents of all 3 bowls.  Oh well 2 days down only 5 to go  

As for their combs - well I thought they were quite red until I looked at some pictures online and saw how very very red some are - oh well good job I've got lots of patience.

RR

My brother has a couple of ambers who seem to think him mum. they follow him everywhere and get under his feet!

All I have done with my birds is grab them and they have to get used to it. After a while they figure you mean no harm and just seem to stop running. You may need to be more forceful and grab them?

Thanks for the tips everyone - I'll hang on a bit until they come into lay and see if they bow down to me as their superior mistress  

Tori was a cheeky little devil this evening - I'd left the back door open and she found her way into the kitchen - with a flap and a squawk she few up on to the top of the freezer and then when I scooted her off she left me a present on the kitchen floor  :shock:

So much for a timid chook  

RR