Yuk, but they are fun. Lol. I feed the chicks sauerkraut and hold the strands up and they jump for it. I have them where they'll jump for anything. These 3 week old are warming up to me fast.I got my chicks when they were 2 weeks old. My husband, daughter and I would just reach in and take them out of the brooder several times a day and snuggle with them. They argue at first but then snuggle in and go to sleep. I almost think the yelling about it is what they would do if a predator has them to alert the others. Once they see you are not going to eat them, they calm down.
Now my girls are 8 weeks old. I take a stool into their penned area and just sit down. I talk to them and try to pet them. Almost always 4 or 5 of them will jump up onto my lap and settle down for a bit. They enjoy me to pet them. I have an EE that won't do it and a Barred Rock that has only done it once for a minute. All of the others will just settle in with me.
I think they like it when you let them decide whether or not it is snuggle time. I think you maybe have to force it a bit when they are very young though so they get it. At least that is what has worked with my girls.
A couple of them will even fly from the ground onto my shoulder to hang out with me. One word of advice that I learned the hard way. If you have long hair tie it up and wear a "chicken poop approved" shirt. I experienced the first pooping chick on the shoulder and had to wash my hair.
Our chicks turned one week yesterday and we treat the with dried meal worms. They absolutely love them!
I got my chicks when they were 2 weeks old. My husband, daughter and I would just reach in and take them out of the brooder several times a day and snuggle with them. They argue at first but then snuggle in and go to sleep. I almost think the yelling about it is what they would do if a predator has them to alert the others. Once they see you are not going to eat them, they calm down.
Now my girls are 8 weeks old. I take a stool into their penned area and just sit down. I talk to them and try to pet them. Almost always 4 or 5 of them will jump up onto my lap and settle down for a bit. They enjoy me to pet them. I have an EE that won't do it and a Barred Rock that has only done it once for a minute. All of the others will just settle in with me.
I think they like it when you let them decide whether or not it is snuggle time. I think you maybe have to force it a bit when they are very young though so they get it. At least that is what has worked with my girls.
A couple of them will even fly from the ground onto my shoulder to hang out with me. One word of advice that I learned the hard way. If you have long hair tie it up and wear a "chicken poop approved" shirt. I experienced the first pooping chick on the shoulder and had to wash my hair.
i think so
Well they are being real stinkers aren't they? I will come back to this and let you know if things change with mine. They just turned 8 weeks on Monday May 5. I do spend ALOT of time with mine because I am lucky to run my own business from home. Maybe that makes a difference? I go out and talk to them multiple times as day and make sure to sit in with them for contact each evening.
Hi Kate where do you get your mealworms? I think I would like to try them on my babies.Our chicks turned one week yesterday and we treat the with dried meal worms. They absolutely love them!
Every time I walk into the chicken coop (where their brooder and heat lamps are) I begin to talk to them and they all crowd near the edge of the brooder where I usually sit.
Once I put my hand down inside the brooder with the meal worms in hand, they 'attack' my hand and take the worms. After a few days of doing this, they now will voluntarily 'jump' into my hand so I can pick them up to hold.
They are amazing little creatures.
