My dad told me that if you handle young chicks by hand and pet them their growth gets stunted and they don't grow to full potential. Is this true? I don't over handle them but I notice they like some attention when I come by and see them. Probably lonely as they are young.
I raised some chicks, one single and then two together. They got handled daily. The single one especially spent most of his first few weeks either in one of our hands, in my husband's pockets, on one of our laps... you get the drift. He (turned out to be rooster) even managed to sleep with me in our bed a few times. Didn't harm his growth in the least. Do give your chicks as much attention as you can and handle them as much as you (and they) like. They will grow up to love you and respect you and be wonderful family pets.
