Why wont they let me hold them?

[Nathanya]

ok that is good news to hear so maybe my chicks will soon come to me and want to be picked up

 

[Tripp16]

Your answer has probably already been answered. But chicks do go through a teenage stage ( thats what I call it) where they dont want anything to do with you. All the chicks I have raised have out grown it and I wouldnt say love being held but they tolerate it. They started calming down when they began laying.

Now my little game hen NEVER hit the teenage stage maybe it was because she was raised alone and thought she was a human and still did until she became a mom just recently now she just wants me to give the food to her and the chicks and get out! Lol

What Im trying to say is dont freak out they are like little kids that dont want to be held they think their too cool to be held!

They will eventually learn that you mean treats and attention then they will all come running! Thats my little two cents worth!

 

[AHDCST]

My chicks don't like being held --at first! Continue to pick them up and reach into the brooder just to pat them on the head. Let them chirp, squawk, squirm, screech and anything else they feel like doing. Then pick them up and hold them anyway. You have to establish your authority with them from the beginning. This is very important because you may need to be able to handle them when they are older. God forbid one of them gets hurt or sick and you can't get a hold of them to help them? It is worth every bit of hassle and aggravation you have to endure now if it saves a life or limb later.
I pick each chick up and hold it at eye level and talk to it. I don't use a sweet drippy baby voice, I just talk like I would to you. You can ask them who they think is gonna win the basketball game on TV that night. They will be so busy watching you and listening to your voice, they won't even realize you are still holding them. They will tilt their little heads like they understand what you are saying! It is so cute to watch! I talk to them the whole time I am out feeding and watering and sprinkling scratch for them.
My entire flock run to the front of their enclosures when they hear the side door of the house open. They know somebody is gonna come see them.
Obviously you won't spend as much time and effort on chicks that are being raised as meat birds. Then again you may have to work even harder if you are truly making pets out of the chicks.
The short version is this: give them agood bit more then the bare minimum and work with them to gain their trust. They will be running straight to you before you know it.
I started getting my 2 hens I kept from round one in the incubator out to play in the yard and get some fresh air,bugs and grass. I took a seat on the ground about 3 feet away from them. They started looking around and then at me as if to say" are you sure this is okay"? They scooted closer to me with every little sound and when a helicopter flew over the house I had 2 balls of fluff jump into my lap! They showed me that the patience and persistence has paid off. They look to me as safety,AKA Momma!
It is well worth the work it takes to earn that trust!

 

[AHDCST]

Your answer has probably already been answered. But chicks do go through a teenage stage ( that's what I call it) where they don't want anything to do with you. All the chicks I have raised have out grown it and I wouldn't say love being held but they tolerate it. They started calming down when they began laying.

Now my little game hen NEVER hit the teenage stage maybe it was because she was raised alone and thought she was a human and still did until she became a mom just recently now she just wants me to give the food to her and the chicks and get out! Lol

What I'm trying to say is don't freak out they are like little kids that don't want to be held they think their too cool to be held!

They will eventually learn that you mean treats and attention then they will all come running! That's my little two cents worth!

You know the Queen Gracie thinks she is a human because you treated her like one from day 1! She has you wrapped so tight around her little wing it is hilarious! I know you love that little girl as much as I do or you wouldn't have gotten a chance to raise her!
Maybe I should explain. My BB Red hen was setting on a nest of only 4 eggs last summer. The short version is: 2 eggs hatched and they were posted on Craig's List. I got interest from Scarlett456 but before we could meet up to hand them over, the little roo died. He was a bit smaller but acted just fine. Found him dead at first check in the morning. Well I didn't think anyone would want just one chick but I had a friend of mine with some banties to get rid of so I asked Scarlett456 if they would like the set of mismatched hens and roos. The next thing I know I am getting pics sent on my phone of Gracie sitting on the phone while the pics are being sent and text messages are going back and forth! Gracie doesn't know she is a chicken! Heck, I don't think she even knows she is a animal! I call her the Queen but I miss having the little bugger here with me. Hey, maybe I need to set up a play date for her and the newest chicks!

 

[RonC]

Give them treats in your hand and move slowly. They don't like sudden movements or anything moving overhead, it's a survival thing to protect from hawks and owls. And don't chase them down, let them come to you.

 

[azygous]

It always amazes me people get baby chicks and don't think about what would instinctively scare them.

Think about it. If those baby chicks were with their momma hen out in the forest and a hawk suddenly dived down at them from up above, what would you expect them to do?

Of course, they would be programmed by their genes to scatter and run. Well, what do you think they perceive your hands to be as they descend on them from the top of the brooder? Yikes! A predator!

So if you want baby chicks to trust you and be unafraid, try approaching them slowly from the side. It helps to place your brooder on a table and install a side access door in it. I always get my new chicks used to me by first placing my hand, palm up or palm down up against their toes and just leaving it there. Soon they naturally climb onto my hand, and I slowly raise it up and down a few inches.

After the chicks become used to your hand slowing entering their world safely from the side, they come to associate it with the rest of you and they learn you are their human caregiver who comes with wonderful treats. After just a week of this, you should have chicks that are tame and trusting and easy to handle.

 

[Alesia]

thanks for the advice!!

 

[Tripp16]

Oh I didnt intentionally spoil her...well yeah I did! LOL It was kind of hard not to! You should have play date with her kids! She likes to run them around she definetely doesnt let her chicks lag although she spoils them!

You know the Queen Gracie thinks she is a human because you treated her like one from day 1! She has you wrapped so tight around her little wing it is hilarious! I know you love that little girl as much as I do or you wouldn't have gotten a chance to raise her!
Maybe I should explain. My BB Red hen was setting on a nest of only 4 eggs last summer. The short version is: 2 eggs hatched and they were posted on Craig's List. I got interest from Scarlett456 but before we could meet up to hand them over, the little roo died. He was a bit smaller but acted just fine. Found him dead at first check in the morning. Well I didn't think anyone would want just one chick but I had a friend of mine with some banties to get rid of so I asked Scarlett456 if they would like the set of mismatched hens and roos. The next thing I know I am getting pics sent on my phone of Gracie sitting on the phone while the pics are being sent and text messages are going back and forth! Gracie doesn't know she is a chicken! Heck, I don't think she even knows she is a animal! I call her the Queen but I miss having the little bugger here with me. Hey, maybe I need to set up a play date for her and the newest chicks!

 

[Fussy8]

HAHAHAHAH!! My buff has been coming to me too! Mabye it's because they need water?!?!?! Oh well makes me feel better! <3

 

[gotpotbellypig]

Keep holding them and be patient with them. Put some feed in your hand so they get used to you also.