How can I bond with my new chicks?

[Luna_Chick66]

Ok, so I am new at this. Sorry for the newb question. I got 8 chicks from MPC as pets on Tuesday (with egg-laying just a bonus)... all girls.

All my chicks are afraid of me (kinda) they are 3 days old now. I made sure I picked docile breeds -

- Orpingtons
- Brahmas
- Cochins
- Silky Bantams

The one Silky probably wants to peck my eyes out because I have had to deal with her pasty butt, so she may hate me.

Is it gonna take treats to get them to like me? and what treats would they be?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Start holding each one once or twice everyday. Eventually they will understand that you will not hurt them and may even come to love you

 

[g_a_brand]

keep picking them up and patting them, up till a few days ago one of my little ones would run from me everytime I tried to pat her, than the other day she jumped up on my lap while I was patting 4 other ones and butted in under my hand looking for some love,
( go figure

) this chick in question is apx 6 weeks old now .
they will get used to you after sometime.

 

[featherbaby]

Try hand feeding them some nice juicy mealworms. Yummmm....
Yummmm....

Bribery LIVES!!!

 

[Luna_Chick66]

lol, I am all for bribery. I will get some tomorrow... ones I saw in the feed store were dehydrated, tho.

I will also pick them up once or twice a day. I've been doing that to change thier paper towels, tho.

I feel like that Gorilla mother on Bugs Bunny (Gorilla My Dreams) when she scoops up Bugs and she later starts sobbing: "My baby doesn't love me!"

 

[write2caroline]

Try not to grab them from the back but put your hand in front of them so they can step up. Speak to them softly and tell them how gorgeous their feathers are. Just the positive tone will be relayed although I had one that positively blushed when I went on and on about her beautiful new feathers. Make sing song kind of noises. You might feel like an idiot but they like it. Birds feel safe with soothing chirping noises - silence relays danger and squawking is fear.

My second batch wanted nothing to do with us.

Kind of look at it from there perspective. You are many times bigger and kind of threatening and you are reaching into thier space.

My parakeets are the same way - sweet out of the cage and little monster devils when I have to reach in- They hate it. Especially, when I forget to talk to them when changing water and cleaning food dishes.

CAL
Jax FL

 

[wildorchid053]

we used to grab them and sit with them on a towel on our laps when we watched tv. they love to snuggle.. just don't keep them from food and water too long

 

[kysilkies]

How do you unbond? LOL

With our last chick I literally had to crack the shell and peel it off of her then eye drop feed and care for her 24.7 over the next 3 days to ensure we didn't lose her, she was the only one in a batch of 6 to make it...

Since then she's been in a cage that sits less than 3' from me in my office...We see each other 15hrs a day and always spend time watching the news together on the couch when I wake up, now I can't even leave the room without her chirping her head off while doing the river dance!(too cute!)...She's a 1.5mths old now...

We also have 2 that are 2.5mths old that are now out in a coop...Me and the mrs go out at least twice a day and play with them, totally spoiled...Our roo did his first cockadoodledoo 2 days ago, it was like watching our baby take her first step again! LOL

At night, OMG, she will bellow for 30 mins, take a 5 min break, rinse and repeat!...I wouldn't change it for the world, but the more time you're with them, the more they will wuv u!...We're going to poultry auction tomorrow morning to get her a roommate!...