do I have to handle them to have nice chickens?

[momofsomj]

New to this chicken raising thing. I have read a lot of posts saying that one has to hold their chickens to have nice chickens, etc. I am all concerned now because our family is allergic to them. We let them free range in our yard and talk to them, collect their eggs, let them be near us, but we don't pick them up and hold them. They are sweet now, but will they be not so sweet if we don't touch them?

 

[SpringChickens]

They may even be better this way... there is an on-going debate. The main reason that you would need to pick them up and hold them is so .........


You can pick them up and hold them!

If you feed them treats regularly, they'll come running when you come outside.

 

[sealsandwich]

I have a bunch of chickens that I got from a local hatchery. Poor miserable things. Four months old, and the barred rocks were still in the brooder grow off. It took them almost a week just to learn to walk upright! These were my layers, and everytime I opened the back door, they would run around the yard completely freaked out like aliens had landed.

Yeah, just like that.

I let it go on ffor several months because I just figured that was how it was with those "hatchery" chickens. But my friend had nice chickens, and I got really tired of mine acting like lunatics. So... I didn't feed them for a day and then went outside and held some bread in my hand. Didn't feed them anything the next day and did the same thing. Three days of this, and they now follow me everywhere. All of them. Talk to me all about how much they love me! I am the bread goddess you know! I don't hold them. Just love them.....

I agree with Spring Chickens that treats make them love you.

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

If you feed them in your hands and give them treats in your hand they will be just as tame as if you picked them up...

Good Luck!!

 

[greathorse]

Your chickens willl be much happier if you feed them well, treat them well, protect them from the elements and extreme weather and leave your hands off them.

I have never seen a chicken that did not need a lot of conditioning in order for them to accept being picked up. My chickens follow me around the place like a dog, I never pick them up. I have no desire to aggravate them or myself.

Of course if I need to pick them up I will need to pen them appropriately and they freak a bit because they arent used to it. I have never understood the need to handle them all the time.

I think they need to be given the opportunity to be chickens.

edited to say: and oh yeah throw them some scratch from time to time

 

[lux_interior]

That's too bad that you're allergic, because when I first read this title I thought "why would you NOT want to hold them?!" But I'm not sure how all chickens act, because I'm new to this too, I just know mine are very sweet, but I hold them a lot and raised them inside from day old chicks.

I agree with the feeding thing too. My chickens always get excited when they see me coming, because they know that I feed them. So if you can't hold them, just having them know that YOU are the one feeding and taking care of them will make them love you

 

[lux_interior]

Quote:
Also, I sort of agree with this... I probably hold mine a lot because the ones who live outside are only 6 weeks, and I've been holding them since they were chicks, And I still have to pick them up every night to put them to bed in their coop. The others I have are less then a week old, so of course I hold them too.

I'm sure I will hold them less when they are all big full grown chickens.... But who knows. Maybe if they continue to be used to being handled, they won't freak out like you say yours do?

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Do what comes naturally to chickens. When a chicken wants to make friends with someone, or mother something it gives them food. Roosters find nice treats for their hens, hens dig up choice eats for their chicks. Its how they bond with eachother.

While picking them up does desensitize them to us and make them friendly, you can achieve similar results just by having treats ready when you call them.

 

[RubberChickenLubber]

I've never held my chickens much, but they come to me when I go into the coop, and if they are free ranging, and see me go outside, they come running. So, no, they don't need to be handled, just fed well, and be around you.

 

[speckledhen]

Never heard of a whole family being allergic to chickens! That's interesting.