How do you do this?????

[SilkieChickenLover336]

Ok so i dont know if this should go here but....... how do you make a chick nice and want to be around you. i always here these stories of chicks running up to there owners and cuddling with them! i have hatched chicks and none of them want anything to do with me. i handle them everyday and they try to escape! how do you make them "love" you?? well i did have one chick who would stay on my shoulder for about 5 mins but then would just jump off and do something else. i dont know what to do.i would like to learn before i hatch my chicks so this way i can have a small flock of 3 and they will love me! thxxx

 

[Judy]

I think often the mistake people make is reaching from above. Almost impossible not to do, but their instincts say, run, it is a bird of prey. If you have a bit of treat on your palm and sneak in more or less sideways and lay your hand on the litter, they should get used to you a little more readily. I've even read of including a door of some sort on the side of the brooder for putting one's hand in.

 

[jenesis536]

It's hard in the beginning... when they are older and you can start giving them treats, they'll fall in love with you real quick. My ladies follow us around all the time (especially when we are holding the bag of raisins).

 

[Okie Amazon]

Food is the key to most any animals' affections. Find out what their favorite treat is and offer it only by hand. I don't honestly know that much about chickens tolerance for petting/cuddling, but in parrots, there are some that LOVE to be petted up, some that can take it or leave it and others that can hardly tolerate it. I would imagine chickens are a lot the same.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I remember when we had chicks they were just pretty wiggly and as they got a little older they calmed down and would sit on us more often. Of course if they associate you with food it helps.

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

ok ill try the food thing when they are like 3 days to a week old!

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

if i handle them everyday with they start to like me?

 

[Okie Amazon]

That kinda made me laugh. We sold a pup a few years ago and the 15 yo daughter was holding her constantly, barely letting the pups feet hit the ground and she called complaining that the pup would run from her when she put her down! A big case of "How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away?!"



I don't know that daily handling will make it "like" you, but it will certainly get it over any fear of you.

 

[chkinut]

treats, treats, and more treats! and have them eat from your hand too! also, i noticed mine got nicer after they started laying eggs. although they still have their personalities! Cricket (my SCM) just loves to be on my lap and petted! Ginger will let me pick her up and hold her, but she does NOT like to stay on my lap. (ginger and cricket are 1 year old) out of my 4 teenage girls, 2 like me and 2 don't really like me at all. and out of my "toddler chicks", they all hate me! and i have one "infant chick" and she LIKES me. so, we'll see!

 

[Colie <3]

My silkies didn't start to even want to be near me until they were about 8 weeks old and outside. They still don't jump in my lap but they come running when they see me. What I did was I started putting treats in a cage style wildbird feeder so they learned "yum I like treats". Then I started going into their pen sitting down with treats in my hand, my hand laying on the ground. Their greedy little bellies won them over and now when they see me they think "Food! Treats! Run!!" My older silkies weren't raised by me so they are just starting to learn I'm the lady with the treats. Different personalities too as far as who doesn't mind sitting in my lap and who flaps and fights when I try and pick them up. It just takes time, if you're into silkies as a breed I don't think you'll have that much difficulty