Chicks arriving week after next (yay!) and we plan on giving the little girls lots of love and attention. However, I also heard NOT to handle them too much the first week because they are prone to drafts, sickness, etc during this time. I figured we would be handling them right from the start, but how much is too much? Not that we would have them out of the brooder all of the time, but I was basically told "hands off" that first week. Is this true? It seems that's a time they would really need the contact and closeness...
I would love to know the answer myself. Also, is it ever too late to socialize a chicken? (sorry to piggyback). Good luck with your new additions!!
No. Do NOT hold them the !st week or so!! They ARE prone to drafts, sickness, etc during this time. Good Luck & Hope This Helped!!!!
I guess I've been lucky. I've held my chickies from day one without any problems. I've snuggled shipped chicks to warm them up if they seemed weak when they arrived. I'm pretty much 98.6 degrees.
Give them a week to get used to your presence and new surroundings. In the first week I scratch them on the back so they can learn that I will not hurt them, but I don't pick them up.
I disagree with the idea that they should not be held the first week. I hold mine a lot from the day I get them. I would not take them outside or anywhere they might be exposed to cold during the first week. Most people do not have their brooder in a drafty area and so this is not a problem. I only take one chick out of the brooder at a time. I hold it for a little bit (5 - 10 mins). Then I put it back in the brooder and pick up another one.
I hope this is the right answer, because that's what I've been doing for the past few days with mine. I take them out one at a time, and hold it and talking to it - probably not even for 3 minutes - put it in the box for a photo shoot, then back into the brooder. They don't seem to have any problem and they aren't very far from the brooder to begin with. I think the sooner they are used to human contact the friendlier they will be. I got a couple ducks from TSC that were already a week old and they are terrified of us compared to the chicks that have been held from day 2.
Interesting I've been holding mine since day one, I started out a little bit at a time and now they get free range of the room while I clean the brooder. I have a few thats are really attached to me, If i say "chic chic chic chic" they come running. They like to climb all over the kids and I. Heck the Easter Egger likes to pick on our puppy. The chicks are now a week and a half old.
I handle all eleven of mine every day since they were hatched. Not one has shown any ill effect what-so-ever. Although I suggest letting kids hold them while they are sitting, as they are squirmy.
