Scared chickens

[blossom]

Hi all

I used to have two rir hens a while ago. Due to moving they were rehomed.

Yesterday we picked up three silkie/pekins. They are pol, and we already had a couple of eggs yesterday.

They have a section of the garden fenced off with a few trees, some shelters we have made and a wooden chicken house. Yesterday they happily wondered around their area, eating bugs and grass, looking for routes out to the veggie patch.
They looked at everything except their house. So, as I did with the last chickens, I thought I would wait until it got dark, then pick them up and put them in their house on the perches.
These are already not as friendly as my rir were on their first day. Those I could pick up easily any time.

S

[blossom]

Oups. So, anyway. When it got dark and they had laid down, I grabbed the first and put it in. The second we had to chase a little. The third took lots of chasing and in the end we gave up.

The problem we have today is they are hiding under a tree and not coming out, at all!
If we go anywhere near them they bolt.

Any tips on how to win their trust?

[RichmondHens]

I don't know how hot it is in your part of the world at the moment, but if the house is under trees and has plenty of ventilation I would shut the hens in the house for 24 hours. They should then get the idea that this is where they live and will go back to roost there the following night. Of course it may just be so hot that they don't want to go inside in the first place. Wait until it is fully dark (not just dusk) and they have been asleep for a couple of hours before you attempt to catch them and put them inside.

Trust will come with time, it doesn't happen straightaway. Your last hens may well have been handled a lot as chicks and therefore were much more used to human contact. Get them used to having their daily treat on the ground by your feet, progressing to taking it out of your hand. Once they are used to taking themselves to bed each night, go out to the hen house and handle them while they are sleepy. They will soon get used to you.

[Two_Sheds]

I grabbed the first and put it in. The second we had to chase a little. The third took lots of chasing ... today ...they are hiding under a tree and not coming out

A great big strange pair of predators grabbed them and chased them, lol. I wouldn't come out either

I have no experience of chicken handling, just nasty bitey parrots. With them, I through a tea towel over them to pick them up if they are stressed. This immediately calms them down enough to handle them, a middling to firm grip helps, not a loose one so they can flap about and injure themselves.

As said already, spend time with them, gradually increasing that time. Start short, a few times a day, and build it up. With the parrots, I would only feed them myself, not leave the food in their cage, so that they come to associate their new owner with nice things (food). Once they're used to human contact they trust you more and you can deal with them much easier.

Modelling is good too: you say your other chickens are already trusting? Make sure your new birds see you socialising with the other birds, so they see that you're not a threat, just part of the flock

[Suechooks]

You could try a small light in the coop to attract them in as it gets dark. Then remove it when you've locked them in.

[VirginVegGrower]

I did the torch trick recently. It works. I sit with corn, cucumber or sultanas in my hands to gain trust. Doing it at the moment with two young hens.

[blossom]

Thanks everyone. It was I think 31c here today, so too hot for shutting in all day. They did come out and have a potter in the end for about two hours.
They are defiantly looking for the highest thing they can find to roost on, so we are thinking of raising their house (Hugh fernly-wittinghew style) and hope their natural instincts take them in. It might be a bit cooler for them higher up too, and create more shade.
Does this sound like a good idea?

[nellie-m]

we are thinking of raising their house (Hugh fernly-wittinghew style) and hope their natural instincts take them in. It might be a bit cooler for them higher up too, and create more shade.
Does this sound like a good idea?

I think this sounds like a really great idea!
I'm sure they'll love that!