Chick whisperers: pick up and restraint challenge

[MissGreenJeans]

Hello, chick whisperers! I want your guidance! I’ve explored similar posts, but I’d like to ask my chick handling question and provide specific deets. Here’s my challenge:

• Chicks are 2.5 weeks old: Welsummer, EEs, Olive Egger, Ameraucanas, Black Copper Marans.
• All come bustling out of the brooder and into their playpen when I sit on the floor and release them.
• All will immediately approach and eat chick crumbles from my hand.
• Most will also step or jump into my hand to eat.
• Some will jump onto my extended legs and eat/perch for a few minutes.
• One regularly tries to dust bathe in my cupped hands when I offer their food (ADORABLE). She’ll stretch and look like she’s about to fall asleep.
• BUT all move away if I gently, slowly stroke any part of their bodies and, worse….
• All squawk and act like I’m murdering them if I pick them up or restrain them at all. Have tried moving super slowly and coming from below and the side, only lifting a little bit. I’m careful to be gentle and not squeeze.

So how do I get past this roadblock? I’d love for them to become lap chickens—to like sitting on me and getting petted and even being picked up. I know they’re all individuals, though. If, in the end, they only like hanging out, that’s okay (though a bit disappointing). I do, though, no matter what, want them to be okay with exams and basic husbandry. Picking up and restraint for regular health checks, etc., is necessary, right? I don’t want catching, picking up or holding them when I must to be a stressful event for them.

If these chicks were another species, like puppies or kittens, I’d feel comfortable just picking them up and making them tolerate brief restraint and body handling until they quit squirming. Then I’d follow with tasty treats and let ‘em go to help them learn that (1) restraint isn’t scary, (2) it pays off to hold still because The Lady will let you go if you do and (3) it’s actually kinda awesome because food comes after. Not sure that strategy is wise when raising a baby creature that’s a prey species, though…. Seems like I may ruin our relationship and simply make them scared of me as adults if I do that. True or false? Any clever tricks to offer? Help! Your wisdom and tips will be welcome!

 

[DobieLover]

So how do I get past this roadblock?

It depends on the temperament of the bird. And that changes when they hit POL.

Picking up and restraint for regular health checks, etc., is necessary, right?

This is easily accomplished by pulling them off the roost at night wearing a head lamp. Some birds take being restrained better than others and some need little to no restraint. Again, it depends on the bird.

I don’t want catching, picking up or holding them when I must to be a stressful event for them

Hand feed them their treats. This will win their trust and they will look to you as a walking treat dispenser.
HOWEVER, it is important that you do not go overboard with the treats. I like to keep treats to less than 5% by weight of their total provided diet. What they get foraging is their business.
Be careful with overhandling your pullets. If your cockerel, Roo, is really a male, when he hits sexual maturity (which is always before the pullets do) he may not take a fancy to you being overly involved with HIS girls. And when you have a resident male, that is the best way to look at the flock.
YOU have a rooster, HE has the hens.

 

[MissGreenJeans]

It depends on the temperament of the bird. And that changes when they hit POL.

This is easily accomplished by pulling them off the roost at night wearing a head lamp. Some birds take being restrained better than others and some need little to no restraint. Again, it depends on the bird.

Hand feed them their treats. This will win their trust and they will look to you as a walking treat dispenser.
HOWEVER, it is important that you do not go overboard with the treats. I like to keep treats to less than 5% by weight of their total provided diet. What they get foraging is their business.
Be careful with overhandling your pullets. If your cockerel, Roo, is really a male, when he hits sexual maturity (which is always before the pullets do) he may not take a fancy to you being overly involved with HIS girls. And when you have a resident male, that is the best way to look at the flock.
YOU have a rooster, HE has the hens.

Thanks for the excellent advice (and the rooster-related giggle at the end). I can’t wait to see if Roo is a roo. I will absolutely respect his place as keeper-of-the-girls!

Happy to learn about the roost-trick in particular!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Honestly, I don't have great luck to get birds to love me. I've got some that tolerate being held and sat on the swing with me, but that's more sheer luck for me.

 

[MissGreenJeans]

Honestly, I don't have great luck to get birds to love me. I've got some that tolerate being held and sat on the swing with me, but that's more sheer luck for me.

Makes me feel much less like I’ve already done something wrong! I think my expectations may have been shaped by seeing scads of photos of children and others snuggling baby chicks. I somehow thought they’d be more tolerant of being picked up as long as I took it slow and used common sense.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Nah. Even the "friendly" breeds I don't have good luck with. Silkies, Cochin bantams, even the polish that can still see pretty good.

My calico princess, and bresse males are the friendliest. But I also had a very friendly Cornish bantam rooster that would let me give him belly rubs

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Hello! Sounds like you are on the right track. Like you and others have said, each chickie-poo will have their own personalities and tolerance level of handling. I have about twenty chickens who all are at different levels of tolerating being picked up. Even though I handled and held and cuddled them since they were teeny tiny cotton balls, my Wyandottes loathe being picked up (but they will sit on my legs/feet when I'm in my coop lawn chair).

Firstly, don't be put off by the drama when you try to pick them up. Even my most docile (my EE who never struggles when I pick her up) will fight me if I try to administer oral medication or do anything else that's overly invasive. It's just something we chicken people get to deal with. And I tell people I spend an unnatural amount of time with my chickens, so I'm about as hands-on as they come (but I'm sure there are others who are even more extreme than me).

Also, don't be afraid to pet them gently (run your hand down their back) even if they protest. I have a 10 week old pullet right now who grrrrrs at me and even turns to peck me when I pet her! The nerve! (makes me want to check for owies). I'll go to pet her - as she has made herself comfortable on my lap, mind you, her sharp talons digging into my arm flesh - and as she sees my hand approaching, she starts grrrring in protest. It's kinda hilarious and I really should try to get a video of it. She also makes a fuss when I go to pick her up, but once I've got her tucked up against me she's usually happy (and loves to snuggle in even if the idea of being touched makes her protest).

Even my most fussy chickens I'll sometimes pick up and hold close, saying, "There, there! Who's a sweet girl?!" as they struggle to break free.

Welp, that's my two cents. It's good that they are sitting on you and dustbathing on you (isn't that the best?! Every time I get new babies, I have at least one who is obsessed with mock dustbathing on me. To me, that is one of the ultimate signs of trust and comfort with their Mama Chicken).

 

[MissGreenJeans]

Thank you so much, CalBickieMomma! Your advice is so helpful and much appreciated! And I totally agree re: the mock dustbathing. It melts me. I think I stopped breathing the first time she did it, eventually kinda turning upside-down in my hands, stretching out her legs and squinting up at me. Her name is Dot, and I adore her! Hope she keeps doing it until she’s too big to fit!

p.s. PLEASE post video of the wee growling chick. The nerve indeed! Saucy thing!

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Thank you so much, CalBickieMomma! Your advice is so helpful and much appreciated! And I totally agree re: the mock dustbathing. It melts me. I think I stopped breathing the first time she did it, eventually kinda turning upside-down in my hands, stretching out her legs and squinting up at me. Her name is Dot, and I adore her! Hope she keeps doing it until she’s too big to fit!

p.s. PLEASE post video of the wee growling chick. The nerve indeed! Saucy thing!

Oh, the head tilt and eye focus on Mama Chicken is THE BEST!!! I was in the feed store a while back getting chicken feed. It was a Monday and they were NOT supposed to have babies in (they usually come in Friday morning and they're gone by Saturday). Anyhoo, I had to look into the brooder, of course, and one of the wee ones tilted her head and looked right at me, teeny tiny eyelid halfway up. I immediately backed away, hissing, "Nooooo! Don't look at meeeee!!!", crossing my arms in front of my face like a vampire trying to evade the sun . I already have sooooo many chickens and I could not succumb to the power of that look. Sounds like your little dust-bather is super happy to be with her mama chicken .

 

[MissGreenJeans]

Oh, the head tilt and eye focus on Mama Chicken is THE BEST!!! I was in the feed store a while back getting chicken feed. It was a Monday and they were NOT supposed to have babies in (they usually come in Friday morning and they're gone by Saturday). Anyhoo, I had to look into the brooder, of course, and one of the wee ones tilted her head and looked right at me, teeny tiny eyelid halfway up. I immediately backed away, hissing, "Nooooo! Don't look at meeeee!!!", crossing my arms in front of my face like a vampire trying to evade the sun . I already have sooooo many chickens and I could not succumb to the power of that look. Sounds like your little dust-bather is super happy to be with her mama chicken .