Hatchery Chicks skittish?

[hmillie]

Hey everyone!
Newbies here! We are in the process of building our first coop and are getting excited to get our baby chicks! I was looking into ordering 4 to 5 day old chicks from mypetchicken.com, but I was wondering if these chicks tend to be more skittish than if I find a local person on Craigslist? We are looking for decent egg layers, but more importantly docile pets to add to our family. Should I not order them online if I want them to be friendly chickens later down to line or does breed selection matter more?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

All chicks are that way, unless the person hatching them is right there bonding and talking to them. You will need to handle them daily, they tame down after a week or so.

I have always used my pet Chicken, they have nice chicks and great service. I now order exclusively from them. I used to get random chicks, but after getting some with Marecks, I don't anymore, hatchery chick tend to be more sterile and less likely to introduce diseases, off of craigslist you just don't know, as well as the safety of the human too.

 

[austrolover1]

They don't have to be skittish if you pet them often as chicks. I have heard good things of Cackle Hatchery and McMurray Hatchery; I have only ordered from McM hatchery and the service was great and the chicks were healthy. I have only Austrolorps and they have great temperaments except for the rooster who was slightly aggressive.

 

[Jensownzoo]

I got my chicks from MPC--they're three weeks old now. I haven't been able to handle them as much as I would have liked as I've been sick for the past three weeks (grrrr!) but I noticed that while they kick up a fuss when I first reach for one, once I have it in hand (and it figures out I'm not out to eat it!), they have all calmed right down and curiosity has taken over.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Hatchery chick pic!


Not skittish at all! Breed matters more as some breeds remain flighty their whole lives.

This is a delaware chick at 4 days old or so. (it was actually hard to get her to get down)

It is totally normal for them to fear anything coming in from above (think hawk). Quiet patience pays off in the end. Just remember very few end up wanting to sit in your lap like a small dog would.