Socializing Chicks

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calebc311

calebc311

Songster
7 Years
Dec 31, 2013
88
6
106
East Bay California
I'm raising a Buff Orpington and BPR. I've had them for a week, and they are growing well :).

However, one problem I'm facing is socializing my chicks. Every time I put my hand very slowly into the brooder, they chirp louder and avoid it. When I moved them to a larger brooder, they were so frightened of me holding them. What can I do to let my chicks be more comfortable with me and other humans?
 
Sorry, but I can't really help you. I was actually just about to start a thread about the same thing. I had the same problem with my hens when they were chicks. Every time I stuck my hand into the brooder, they would scream bloody murder and chaos would reign over the land of Brooder until I took my hand back out. Hoping to do better the batch of chicks coming Monday.
 
calebc311 said:
I'm raising a Buff Orpington and BPR. I've had them for a week, and they are growing well :).

However, one problem I'm facing is socializing my chicks. Every time I put my hand very slowly into the brooder, they chirp louder and avoid it. When I moved them to a larger brooder, they were so frightened of me holding them. What can I do to let my chicks be more comfortable with me and other humans?
Click to expand...

All in time and you will have plenty of that feeding them every day and
just sitting on the porch watching them you will be their best friend in
time but let them get to about 3 to 4 weeks old before picking them up
daily and always wash before and after but you can get them use to a
little faster if you scramble some egg's and mash up real good and feed
your chicks from your hand ................
 
Feed them some treats out of your hand...be patient, and move slowly. It won't take long until they realize "the hand" is a good thing.

We started with a little bit of their crumble and as they got bigger (and after we added chick grit) we gave them finely chopped grapes, tomatoes, etc.

I start feeding them by hand at around 0:40

0.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hand feed them. They're motivated by food and will soon associate you and your hand with lunch. Put the food in your palm and place it on the floor of the brooder and they'll dig in.

Of my 8 chicks last spring, all did well with me hand feeding them. EXCEPT one. She would run up - bit the stuffing out of me - then run away. I soon figured that her message was for me to DROP the food so she could eat it without it being on my hand. She would wait until I left and then eat out of the dish.

She's still not friendly and is more skittish than the rest but lays a huge egg every day so I don't much care. Just want you to be aware that not all chicks want to be friendly.
 
@Cacique500 nice video, sounds like you have parrots or something.

What is the bedding in your brooder pen?
 
Thanks on the video - the bedding is washed construction sand (not play sand) from Lowes. It was a tad dusty, but other than that it worked out really well. Very easy to scoop out and keep clean.

Yes on the parrots...Solomon Island Eclectus (female) and Double Yellow Headed Amazon (male)
 
Cacique500 said:
Thanks on the video - the bedding is washed construction sand (not play sand) from Lowes. It was a tad dusty, but other than that it worked out really well. Very easy to scoop out and keep clean.

Yes on the parrots...Solomon Island Eclectus (female) and Double Yellow Headed Amazon (male)
Click to expand...
Thanks.

Oh, parrot right in your avatar, duh...nice.
 

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