Chicks are biting me!

[lauranickerson]

I got 3 Golden Laced Sebrights from a lady about 8 weeks ago and they were terrified of me from the moment I brought them home. They were about 2-3 weeks old when I got them. I'm keeping them in a rabbit cage right now, since they're small enough to comfortably fit, and they're such little birds that I'm nervous to let them out when I have so many roosters and no roof on the run.

Anyways.

So they're a little bigger now so I can grab them out of the cage, but they squawk and cry as if I'm killing them. Then when I hold them to me, and try to pet their head, they bite me!! They're little, but it still kind of hurts! I try hand feeding them crumbles sometimes, but they usually get my skin and twist. That hurts pretty bad.

What can I do? Anything?

 

[theawesomechick]

Well, they probably do think that you are trying to kill them when you grab them. My chicks always squawk their little chicken heads off whenever I so much as touch them, but two minutes later, they're flying onto my knee. As for them biting you, spend lots of time where they can see you, and get used to the idea that you're always around. Eventually, they'll accept you as an environmental factor and treat/food feeder.