How do I pick up my chickens without giving them a heart attack?

[aart]

If you want to get your hands on a chicken without giving it a coronary, wait until they go to bed and then in the deep dark of night quietly enter the coop and GENTLY pick up a bird off the roost. Speak softly first so your hens don't suddenly awake and think that they are in the clutches of the Devil.

This^^^ the best time to get a hold of them, so you can learn how to hold them and they can learn 'they won't die' if handled.

Use both hands to hold wings against body, then cradle bird against your side(football hold) and gently touch it. Place birds feet back on roost until it's stable then slowly let go of wings.

 

[StephTheChicken]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chickens-hate-me.1189182/

Check out the replies in this thread. In a nutshell, your girls are just babies and, as mentioned, you need to be patient, not only for them to get used to you, but for them to mature.

At least mine aren't terrified of me like some people describe their experiences in that thread. Today they're coming up close again, so close I could easily touch them but I don't want to spook them. I will just keep doing what I've been doing so far and sit in the garden with them every day.
Yesterday I thought I had finally found a treat they like but then realised it was just a foot print in the yogurt, they hadn't been eating it So even if they don't let me check them for parasites at least they have soft feet I guess.

This^^^ the best time to get a hold of them, so you can learn how to hold them and they can learn 'they won't die' if handled.

Use both hands to hold wings against body, then cradle bird against your side(football hold) and gently touch it. Place birds feet back on roost until it's stable then slowly let go of wings.

I don't know, I don't want them to associate the coop with me snatching them. At least in there they should feel 100% safe. As mentioned above today they're coming up close to me again so it's not like they're super scared of me, maybe they just really don't like being picked up in general? If I can work my way up to them letting me touch them without running away I could always check for parasites that way.

 

[StephTheChicken]

Don't give up yet, you're doing it right and it will take much longer for them to settle in to their new life. They will need to try the same treat a few times before they decide that they love it. Mine will kill for red juicy things like tomatoes and strawberries. And mealworms, of course, but every new chicken has to learn that those are good things.

Maybe I was getting impatient because they seemed so settled already. They don't mind me sitting in the garden and they're very interested in the cat. They already roam all of the garden and run around chasing flies. Also the fact that they tucked themselves away on the first evening despite the farmer's prediction gave me the impression they already felt super comfortable here.

 

[User395221]

maybe they just really don't like being picked up in general?

Probably not, it's really not something that birds naturally like. As for traumatising them by picking them up in the coop, they really don't seem to remember things and avoid you for causing those things. My young hens were born in Oct/Nov last year and I don't really handle them unless I have to, I just let them run around and be chooks. But I have handled them, I have picked them up, I have sprayed them with bug spray, looked at their bottoms. They do not flee in terror when they see me. Because they're clucky, I usually pick them up from the nest box. They don't run when I open the nest box, they don't seem to associate me with any of the "bad" stuff I've done to them that upset them a bit when I did it.

tl:dr go for it, they won't bear grudges. Just hold them firmly and close in when you pick them up, don't dangle them or let them flap about. Pin their wings and hold them close. And talk to them soothingly. My hens respond to voice. Freaking out when they've been "grabbed", I just say "don't worry, it's nothing bad, you're ok" and they just sit still after their "pep talk".

If your young, newly arrived girls are coming up to you, you are going great guns!

 

[JurassicBawk]

It just depends on the chicken. I have 4 Easter Eggers, 2 that I hand raised from 1 day old and 2 that came from an Amish farm when about 5 months old. None of them particularly like being picked up, but the two that I had from a younger age will run up to me for treats while the other two hang back and wait. It is much easier to pick up/handle them once they are older/mature and do the squat. And I found once they got closer to egg-laying age they got more interested in me and more friendly, to the point of jumping up in my lap and sitting beside me. But even my brat chicken that yells for me constantly and wants me around (mostly to feed her treats) doesn't really appreciate being picked up and will fight it.

About 3 weeks ago I brought home 2 Dutch bantam pullets that were right at one month old. They were raised by an Amish boy, and I can tell that he worked with them quite a bit. They are super friendly, will run up to me, jump on my lap, bounce up and down peeping at me, and look for my hands. If I pick them up, they melt into my hands and fall asleep. Never did my bigger chickens do this, even though I worked with them when they were little. Now if anyone comes over to see the birds, I hand them a melting mini chicken to pet and leave the bigger ones (who are usually hiding and chattering about someone new being around) alone.

Just keep doing what you are doing. Patience goes a long way, because birds don't do anything or learn anything by force. Just sit and hang out with them, give them treats, and see how things go when they're a bit bigger.

 

[aart]

I don't know, I don't want them to associate the coop with me snatching them. At least in there they should feel 100% safe. As mentioned above today they're coming up close to me again so it's not like they're super scared of me, maybe they just really don't like being picked up in general? If I can work my way up to them letting me touch them without running away I could always check for parasites that way.

Nah, you've just got to be calm, cool, and confident(can be hard to stay calm while picking up a struggling bird, but it's important).
Talk softly, the voice really makes a difference.
You'll both get used to the handling.
I've only had a couple birds that would let me pick them up while awake and out and about without grabbing tail.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

It is good to get them as chicks so that you can build trust with them. I raised mine from chicks and yesterday, three of my Columbian Rocks were sitting on my lap. They insisted on getting up there, and they get mad when I take them down. lol!

 

[aquabum]

My older hens that I got as 6 month olds just don't want to be handled. They were not handled as chicks and that's that. They eat treats out of my hands and will brush up against me no problem. But picking them up, well, that's just nuts to them.

I recently got two younger hens at about 8 weeks old. They got picked on from the older crew big time! They quickly learned that any human near by was a safe zone because the older girls would keep their distance from me or my daughters unless we have treats.

Now they fly up on us anytime we are with them. My daughter loves it. Except when they try to climb on her head! Haha

 

[aart]

Now they fly up on us anytime we are with them. My daughter loves it. Except when they try to climb on her head! Haha

Not a good habit to entertain....it gets much less cute when they gain a pound or two.
..and that razor sharp beak can take out an eye in the blink of one.