How do I tame my chicks??!!

[saellis]

My 2 week-old chicks will eat from my hand and even hop onto my hand and allow me to touch them and raise them up a bit off the floor but they go berserk if I try to hold them outside the brooder. Once they go back to the brooder they're back to eating from my hand. In spite of their spastic behaviour, it seems I didn't break their trust. Look, touch but don't pick me up seems to be their rule for now.

 

[OrpieLover31]

My 2 week-old chicks will eat from my hand and even hop onto my hand and allow me to touch them and raise them up a bit off the floor but they go berserk if I try to hold them outside the brooder. Once they go back to the brooder they're back to eating from my hand. In spite of their spastic behaviour, it seems I didn't break their trust. Look, touch but don't pick me up seems to be their rule for now.

Hmmm. Mine will eat out of my hand, hop right into my hand, but they dont like me trying to touch them....

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Mine are kinda in between...dont like getting picked up...but dont fight me either. Kinda depends on how i hold them. I treat mine kinda like dogs...if im gonna hold them, i hold them. I dont let them scare me...a few try to flap away but i do my little whistle and wont put them down until they relax...then when i do put them down i let them leave my hand on their own.

Mine like me, several attack my moles on my hand and arm every tine i put my hand in there, and most will let me pet them without a single peep!

 

[kynewbchickie]

I'm trying to win my little flock's trust - We ordered 15 Lorps and yesterday obtained 6 black Giants. All were hatched out Monday, so they're still under a week old. We've got 4-5 that have been having pasty-butt issues that I have to clean and dry regularly, so their squawks of disapproval have rather frightened the rest of them to the point that every time I ease my hand down the side of the brooder (open top), they all freak out and run squawking to the opposite side of the box and huddle. I want to do something for the babies I'm having to pester constantly in order to keep them clean...was wondering when I could start to give "treats" and what should I use since they're so young?

I want to reward the little guys that have to put up with 2xdaily rub downs, as well as the others that decide hey, this lady ain't so bad after all.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Try putting some vasolibe on their butts after a cleaning, should help with the recurring pasties, another trick is putting acv in their water, that helps as well.

As far as a very first treat i started with some grit. I got mine at 3 days old and at about their 1 week i would put a little grit in my palm and just lay my hand in their brooder. After some time 1 would come peck then the game is on. I started hardboiled egg early too prolly close to the same time with grit sprinkled over the top. Also would give them some spinach leaves from a left over salad and they loved it!

My black australorpes are the sweetest of my bunch! Followed by my barred rocks. They are 4 weeks old now and doing great!

 

[OrpieLover31]

Mine are kinda in between...dont like getting picked up...but dont fight me either. Kinda depends on how i hold them. I treat mine kinda like dogs...if im gonna hold them, i hold them. I dont let them scare me...a few try to flap away but i do my little whistle and wont put them down until they relax...then when i do put them down i let them leave my hand on their own.

Mine like me, several attack my moles on my hand and arm every tine i put my hand in there, and most will let me pet them without a single peep!

I kinda treat mine like dogs too. If they try getting out of my grip I dont let them get away with it! If they purposely peck me or something I discipline them, seems to work for me and it does not make them fear me any more or less!

 

[Cockle-Dood]

And it all does come with time. Mine have become so much 'nicer' to me from about the 3.5-4 week mark than they ever were as babies. At 2 weeks they would think my hand was the worst thing in the world unless it had food. Now they see my hands and associate it to the food, not the other way around. Everyone just keep playing with them and u will be amazed

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Orpie, i love this thread. I hope it keeps up!

 

[OrpieLover31]

And it all does come with time. Mine have become so much 'nicer' to me from about the 3.5-4 week mark than they ever were as babies. At 2 weeks they would think my hand was the worst thing in the world unless it had food. Now they see my hands and associate it to the food, not the other way around. Everyone just keep playing with them and u will be amazed

Mine are getting a little nicer to me. I can actually see that they are really trying to trust me and all! Its so much fun having these chicks around, and its nice to know that all of this hard work is paying off... with love of course!

Orpie, i love this thread. I hope it keeps up!

I sure hope so too! I love trying to help people with this sorta stuff!

 

[kynewbchickie]

I've been researching the Pasty-Butt thread for suggestions, will try the hard-boiled egg this evening and tomorrow I'm going to find the probiotic powder to get the cause of the issue under control. They're already on medicated feed due to one having a rusty-tinged and goopy stool (one of our Giants from last night) - vet said it's probably coxy and had me start it for the whole flock (2 weeks) since he was put in last night and has been sharing the brooder with all the others before we saw evidence of the issue. They're still otherwise very active, eating and drinking well, going to change out bedding every other day and have been changing water/feeder every 12 hours max. He told me not to do anything with their water, even though I've seen a lot of suggestions both pro and against putting certain things in their water. He thinks this approach may solve the cause...for now, just washing their tails gently with patience and once I've got them cleaned and put some olive oil on the area surround their vents, I'm going to treat them to the egg....positive reinforcement