Chicken Experts Needed!

We have a few chickens!


We bought 4 from Gamme Vert and one turned into a Cockeral!


Then the one chicken we did have called Tuffty who had decided she would spread her time between us and our neighbours, suddenly appeared with 5 baby chicks! So now we have a lot of chicks!


The problem I need help with is this!


Tuffty has always had a wild streak in her so never comes to you when you throw food and you catch her or go near here. She has now pushed her baby chicks away and left them. The baby chicks have learnt from her to run away from me even when I throw food.


Please does anyone have any ideas on how I can tame them, so they don't run away when I throw food down and so I can catch them to clip wings!


I appreciate any advice!


Thank You

Hello, I would strongly recommend you to search a website called "Down the Lane". This is a UK based site (I live in France) and as a relatively new chicken keeper I have found them absolutely invaluable. Everybody is really friendly and caring. They say "no question is a silly question" and, whatever you ask, somebody will give you an answer. They also have 'photos on the site. It is non commercial, just friendly, informed and helpful. My e-mail is not working at the moment (I am useless at I.T) so I cannot give it to you but, if you have any trouble getting hold of them let me know via this site & I will do whatever I can to help you get connected. Good Luck.

I am definitely a mere mortal!

They are beyond that stage now! i think they are about 6 weeks old, not sure when tuffty had them as she had them next door. When they came over they looked like feathered tumble weed rolling across the garden!

They are going to diddy little things anyway!

I will have to be patient! Can you keep cockerals together? I know they fight! Or would it be best to sell them when we know?

Thank you for all your help and advice! I did buy a book, but it doesn't cover any of the questions that I ask!

Thanks

Kirstenx

Hi

Thank you for your advice and I will follow it tonight!

Out of interest, do you know when you can tell a chick will be a cockeral apart from the obvious! I was wondering if there was a way to tell before this point.

The reason I am asking is that out of the 5 babies that came back 4 of them seem to have grown their combs and play fighting with each other more, than the one that hasn't developed the comb and tends to move away when they are!

Kirstenxx