Am I doing a dumb thing, feeding chicks by hand?

Hand feed for sure since you have kids. It keeps them more friendly and used to people, Plus if they ever get out where they don't belong it's much easier to catch them.
Plus they may come running to you like ours do when called (for the most part).

 

OH they will peck and bite but you should just develope tuff hands

 

I don't feed mine by hand only because I don't want them coming to attack my little 3 yr old for food lol. I do sit with them and pick them up and give them a treat after I pick them up. I would hand feed if I didn't have a little guy I think. Now I know what they are like NOT handfeeding them and next time I will try hand feeding to see the difference. My birds all fly up on my lap now to get a pet when I sit in their coop with them on a chair. I don't try to grab them unless they try to jump on my head (they do that sometime). They are all 5 weeks old. Good Luck with yours!

 

Feed them by hand - its not gonna hurt anything.
Heck, they may even come to like you, in time.

But here it comes: Dont just stick small children and chickens together, especially grown males. Chickens seem not to like kiddies all that much, and their displeasure often manifests by attacking the youngsters.

You have to be careful and watch, teaching the kids how to behave around the livestock.
Chickens is chickens and do what they do - sorry, but there it is.

 

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