How did you teach your chicks to be friendly, love being handled?

[warmheart]

For those who are seasoned in raising chicks, how did you encourage your baby chicks to become happy to be held, petted, handled? What worked for you-- and what didn't? Did you wait to handle, or begin when they were new baby chicks? Any special ways of holding, petting, or special sounds you made that encouraged friendliness?

Thanks for sharing what worked for you!

 

[guineafowlguy]

The secret to having chickens run to meet you. FOOD

Food in hand. They jump in hand.

Food in bucket. They chase bucket.

Eventually they chase you all the time weather you have a bucket or not because now you look like food.

Once they see you as food they are pretty friendly.

This has always worked for me

It also has to do with what breed you have. My EE's have always been friendly without much convincing. My production reds were flighty at first but food eventually won.

 

[AlienChick]

I agree... FOOD!

Also, I do not bother trying to 'tame' baby chicks.
They seem to go through the 'teen age' years anyway and all of a sudden become frightened of anything.

I like to wait till they're adults then bribe them with food.

Works like a charm!

And some breeds are just more friendly than others (Polish, EE's, Black Australorps, Silkies, Light Sussex, etc.).

 

[happylittlehens]

This is my first time raising chicks, but here is what I've learned so far...

1. FOOD! Once they get used to eating food out of your hand, everytime they see you, they will all run to you looking for a treat!

2. Handle often. I've been holding/petting my chicks since the day I brought them home and for the most part they don't even flinch when I touch them or pick them up now...(except for 3 of my chicks which brings me to #3)

3. Breed disposition! Some breeds are just more comfortable with being handled than other breeds! My chicks are 8 weeks old now and I have 4 EE's that don't mind being touched/petted, but would rather not be picked up. I have 3 Buff Orpingtons that LOVE to be petted and held. And I have 3 White Leghorns that absolutely HATE being touched and forget about picking them up! They have all been raised together and exactly the same yet all have different preferences when it comes to being handled.

Hope this helps!

 

[warmheart]

Thank you all for the input! Happylittlehens, these are great suggestions. I really appreciate your guidance! Wanna come cuddle some 4 day old Barbu D'anvers babies? I'm hoping they will forgive me for sometimes handling them to treat them for pasty butt!

 

[Lizz9311]

I had to add in my two cents. Another vote for food here, our big girls follow anyone around even if they don't have food. It's gotten to the point where hubby asked if I've been feeding them enough because of it! (I assure you, I feed them plenty. If anything, I over feed the dears!

)

We also have some 3 week old Cornish X who have begun following me when I bring the food around.

I do have to mention, though, about the breed disposition... you might just have a cranky bird! We have one big girl Brahma who, no matter what you do, doesn't like to be handled and will keep a good couple feet between you and her, even if you have food. So don't be discouraged if you have that one bird that just doesn't like to be handled.

 

[warmheart]

Thanks for your guidance, Lizz! I agree that breed and individuality likely plays into things. I'm intrigued by the methods people use to gentle their friendly chicks! Perhaps I can start bringing the chicks snacks by the weekend, as they'll be a week old then. I envision mealworms in their future!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Yep food food and more food gets them to you. lol I take grass and sit in their pen and break it into tiny tiny pieces into some water in a pan and the sit around it eating the grass outta the water AND my hand. I also some times drop tiny pieces of cat food I have broken up really well into a pan of water and they like to fish it out. I do not put much water into the pan though because they don't like it being very deep. The stand on my feet and even try getting up in the chair with me. I give them oatmeal on the ground by just tossing it out there on the ground in their run. I ALWAYS call them, chick chick chick when I am going to feed them and they come a runnin' for sure if they're not already around me. Most are but after a little while some will wander off back into the other end of the run but when I call here they come.


ALTHOUGH......the black australorps and sex links don't want me touching them at all let alone picking them up, no matter HOW much food they get from me. I can hand feed them and everything but don't dare touch them! The RIR's don't like being picked up but once they get over the fact I have them picked up, I am talking to them the whole time, they stop fighting and start listening to me and tilt their little heads so they can see me. LOL they are so funny!