How much “quality time”? And some basic chick questions too..

[hennypenny18]

so we got our 5 chicks yesterday and they made it through night one and now I’m wondering how much interaction is good so they can be less skiddish. I mean I know, they are babies and they are going to be, but when people talk about “getting them use to people” what exactly does that entail? Should I be picking them up? Trying to hold them? Just talking to them? And what else can I give them to eat at this point? If it’s just starter when can I try them on fruits and veggies? And when do I give them grit? Also I see them standing under the lamp most of the time but not huddled. Does that mean it’s not warm enough? They don’t look like they are trying to get warm... they walk over to the waterer and feeder quite often and then back under the lamp. Thanks for any help!!

 

[chickenmama109]

to get them use to you talking to them is good so they can get use to the sound of your voice picking them up and holding them id also good but not much when they are that little you dont want to stress them them out. with my first 12 chicks i held them and talked to them and they were still skittish of me untell it was time for them to go outside and i feed them out of my hand and stayed with them they got use to me being around and know they will stand on my shoulder arm and eat treats and feed from my hand good luck with your chicks hope i helped some

 

[Cayuga momma]

Talking to them is good. You could put your hand in the brooder with some food in it. I didn't start picking them up (other than checking for pasty butt and their crops) until they were a week old. Once they were a week old then I would take them out and handle them.
They sound okay with the heat lamp. Mine just have a woolly hen. They are 3 weeks old today. Their brooder temp is 70°F and their woolly hen is about 85°F when they are in there.
I think chicks can handle cooler temperatures better than what the books tell us.

But they are your chicks so you should do whatever feels right to you. Trust your instincts.
I hope this helps and congratulations on your new chicks!

 

[hennypenny18]

Talking to them is good. You could put your hand in the brooder with some food in it. I didn't start picking them up (other than checking for pasty butt and their crops) until they were a week old. Once they were a week old then I would take them out and handle them.
They sound okay with the heat lamp. Mine just have a woolly hen. They are 3 weeks old today. Their brooder temp is 70°F and their woolly hen is about 85°F when they are in there.
I think chicks can handle cooler temperatures better than what the books tell us.

But they are your chicks so you should do whatever feels right to you. Trust your instincts.
I hope this helps and congratulations on your new chicks!

Thanks so much!!

 

[hennypenny18]

to get them use to you talking to them is good so they can get use to the sound of your voice picking them up and holding them id also good but not much when they are that little you dont want to stress them them out. with my first 12 chicks i held them and talked to them and they were still skittish of me untell it was time for them to go outside and i feed them out of my hand and stayed with them they got use to me being around and know they will stand on my shoulder arm and eat treats and feed from my hand good luck with your chicks hope i helped some

Thanks so much for your suggestions!

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

I read so many threads on here when we got our chicks! Some of the suggestions that have worked for our chicks (buff orps, production reds, SS):

- When adding food, use your index finger and thumb to "peck" at it while saying "peep peep peep peep". My chicks came running to see what it was!

- Sing little songs using "peep" and "cheep" noises

- Let them into a play pen, sit in there with them, and let them explore you (see my profile pic!)

Your chicks are adorable! Have fun!

 

[BBZZZZTT]

I fed mine food out of my hand. I picked then up occasionally but didn't fight them too much if they struggled. Once they could hop to the side of their brooder they enjoyed walking around on my lap, which is where I gave them treats. They still run over and hop on my lap for treats (although now they're 13 weeks!)
As for grit, they don't need grit if all they're eating is starter. If you give them any treats other than the starter then they do need grit. Make sure to get chick sized grit. If you don't buy grit, make sure what they have access to has jagged edges, not just rounded off pebbles.

I didn't give my chicks treats until they were a couple weeks old, and then I only gave them a couple meal worms since that's a protein snack.
While they're growing it's better to limit the treats and some people don't give anything other than starter until they are grown up. The most complete nutrition (especially protein content) is going to come from their feed.

That said everyone does things differently!

 

[hennypenny18]

I fed mine food out of my hand. I picked then up occasionally but didn't fight them too much if they struggled. Once they could hop to the side of their brooder they enjoyed walking around on my lap, which is where I gave them treats. They still run over and hop on my lap for treats (although now they're 13 weeks!)
As for grit, they don't need grit if all they're eating is starter. If you give them any treats other than the starter then they do need grit. Make sure to get chick sized grit. If you don't buy grit, make sure what they have access to has jagged edges, not just rounded off pebbles.

I didn't give my chicks treats until they were a couple weeks old, and then I only gave them a couple meal worms since that's a protein snack.
While they're growing it's better to limit the treats and some people don't give anything other than starter until they are grown up. The most complete nutrition (especially protein content) is going to come from their feed.

That said everyone does things differently!

Thank you so much for all the help!!

 

[hennypenny18]

I read so many threads on here when we got our chicks! Some of the suggestions that have worked for our chicks (buff orps, production reds, SS):

- When adding food, use your index finger and thumb to "peck" at it while saying "peep peep peep peep". My chicks came running to see what it was!

- Sing little songs using "peep" and "cheep" noises

- Let them into a play pen, sit in there with them, and let them explore you (see my profile pic!)

Your chicks are adorable! Have fun!

Great ideas! Thanks!!

 

[DebAnnZ]

My chicks are just a week old now, and I've been talking to them. I swear, when I go in and start talking to them, they all come running out from under the heater and look up at me. Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I'll take what I can get.