After four months in our flock Speckles has at last got used to me. She is still the most nervous girl around her flock mates but she now runs to me with the rest of the flock. She now takes no notice of me when I am cleaning in the run and will allow me to take close up photos of her.
She also likes to come and check out what I am doing each morning when I poop pick the chicken shed. She will hover right next to me whereas at one time she wouldn’t come any where near me.
When I used to try to take photos of her I could never get close ups because she would always move away from me. Now she is no longer bothered by the camera. I feel we have come a long way. She will probably always be the most shy but she is no longer nervous around me and that gives me such a good feeling.
This was Speckles in a dust bath last month. I have already used this photo but thought I would show it again as it demonstrates how she is no longer bothered by me being close to her. She always used to leave her dust bath if I attempted to get close.
Speckles enjoying a dust bath
Yesterday these three girls were on the table. Speckles is now looking at me with interest rather than turning from me as she used to do.
Three girls on the wooden table
When I got closer Toffee and Topaz jumped down but Speckles stayed on the table. Before she would always have jumped down as soon as I got close to her.
Speckles on the table
This morning I was going to try to take a photo of her while she hovered by me when I was cleaning but it was too tricky with gloves and cleaning at the same time. Instead I decided to try to get a close up once I had finished. I was really pleased with this photo. Speckles would never have stood still for me to take this shot a few months ago.
A close up of Speckles
This is a very different girl to the one who first came to us. I had thought at one point that she would never get used to me. At one time she would choose to run past her flock mates who would peck at her as she passed rather than run past me. Now I think she would more happily get close to me than some of the girls.
As I have found in the past it takes time and patience to get the very shy girls used to me but we get there in the end. It is very pleasing to be able to get so close to Speckles now. She is never going to want me to pick her up, of that I am sure, but she is happy to be close to me and that will do for me.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
She is lovely . Well done ! As you know my girl Bluebell is as nervous now as ever . She will come no where near me even after 2 years yet she gets the same attention as the others . What is meant to be .
It is odd that she hasn’t changed in all that time and she must just have a really shy nature. I really didn’t think Speckles would change and am really pleased that she is now used to me. It’s been slow and steady and sometimes it has been hubby who has said that he can see the change in how close she is now getting to me and then I tuned in on it a bit more and could see that she is quite different towards me than she used to be. As you say, they will be as they will be and we accept them however they are but of course just love it if we can win them over a little bit.
Awe, that’s sweet. I love it when they finally warm up to you as a safe person.
Me too. I used to feel frustrated that she was so nervous of me when all I ever did was take in treats and never ever tried to pick her up but she has got the message at last that I am safe.
She is one lovely bird; pleased that she’s no longer skittish. I love the little kink in her feathers behind her head.
It’s funny because those feathers were like that when we got her and I thought perhaps another chicken had pulled them. I thought they would disappear when she moulted but they didn’t so I think they are just part of her. It does make her unique.