Trying to tame a feral chicken this week.

[fishtaco]

Just call me the chicken whisperer I guess. Came home a couple days ago and she was hanging out under the bird feeder eating the seed the wild birds had spilled. First thing she did when I drove up was fly up to my roof and sit on the gutters and I am trying to get her tamed down by making sure she knows where the food comes from.
Not sure if she is just a stray that has been on her own for a while or born feral over the summer, but I for sure have much tamer wild birds hanging out. Not sure what kind of chicken it is even, she is all-black, short tail, very tall and lean. Oh yeah and she flys like a champ for such a large chicken.
Anyway, I am really hoping to get her to hang out because she obviously has what it takes to survive at least for a while without the need for a coop or cage and the fact that hand-raised chicks that grow up tame might as well have a dinner sign on them because they don't last long even in cages due to the skunks, raccoon, coyotes and hawks.
Fishtaco

 

[al&burke]

Fishtaco that is really cool good luck with that, I am amazed how so many people are interested in all kinds of animals in this forum

 

[deejeff442]

just have to watch chickens bring alot of predators around.it dont take much for anything to get on you property and kill him.

 

[fishtaco]

Update. My feral chicken has moved in behind our house and is roosting at night in a row of cedar trees so it looks like she is going to stay. So far she is still pretty wild acting, so I am just feeding her some scratch in the morning and a little fruit and leaving her alone. Now of course my wife is thinking that we could use a few more chickens so I am keeping my eye on Craigslist for some freebies and I guess I might have to build a coop of some sort.
As usual just like with the Mallard ducks that hang-out, a stern leave my kitties alone is all it takes for my Aussie cattle dog and border collie to accept sharing the yard with another critter. Around here kitties can be anything from chickens to my neighbors goats and cows.
Fishtaco