Have I been handling my chicks too much?

[SarahBee]

I just read the article in the learning center about socializing baby chicks and I'm a little freaked out.... my babies are 4 days old and I've been picking them up and holding them from day 1 (if they seem distressed I put them right back in the brooder). The article goes into detail about slowly getting them used to you over the course of several days and not touching them for the first few days at all. I don't expect these chickens to grow up and be affectionate or loyal or anything, I just don't want them to be scared of people. Have I screwed up??? Or should I just keep doing what I'm doing?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Your fine. Some people just tend to overthink a lot of things! The only time I am hands off is the first day they arrive. I put them in their brooder and leave them alone to rest and eat/drink. After that I handle them whenever I want or need to.

 

[SarahBee]

That makes me feel better, thank you

 

[bugglesmommy]

I handle my chicks from the time they are fluffed out and moved to the brooder. I have only had chicks trust me more for it. Try cupping them on their backs and rubbing their bellies. It puts my seramas right to a comfy sleep.

The chicks I have messed with less frequently early on also became more skittish.

 

[SlipsWife]

We left ours alone when we first got them and they are skittish around us now that they are out and about in the coop/run. We spent WAY to much time last night trying to herd the 8 chicks back into their coop after letting them roam around the yard. (They are almost 4 wks old) It could just be their personalities but for 8 out of 9 (one is very 'special' and would probably walk into the oven) to want nothing to do with us, I will do things differently with the new batch! They will eat out of our hands and eventually hang out close by if we are really calm and outside for awhile. We are getting new guys in on Friday and I'm going to keep a few of them in a seperate brooder and hold them, hold them, hold them, hold them! I think the best thing is making sure they stay warm, get breaks for food and water and aren't stressed out.