How often do you handle your baby chicks?

[MagsC]

We handle ours every day. Still, they all have different personalities and some are tamer than others. Two are VERY tame even though we have treated them the same. And several still are terrified.

 

[Chris623]

I go to the coop several times a day and hand feed my 4 week old chicks. At least a 1/2 dozen of the 23 chicks come running as soon as I open the door. As I'm feeding, several others will come and jump on my arm and actually squat down and roost while I'm feeding the others. As a result, I'm able to pick up most of the chicks relatively easily to move them when necessary. I think, in the long run, it will be beneficial I have taken the extra effort to acclimate them to me.

 

[Critter Crazed]

This is my first ever time having chickens. My 9 silkie chicks and 1 bantam cochin (I think) chick aren't that human friendly and it just frusterates me! They are 4.5 weeks old...

I don't know if I handled them enough because whenever I would they would just FREAK out! And I didn't want to scare them... So I just kind of got them used to my hand. Fed them some treats (yogurt and chick starter) and "played" with their bedding just so they'd get used to my hand being in their twiddling around. One will let me hold it. The others.... not so much. Only when I have yogurt.

Ever since a week or so ago I will only give the chicks yogurt if they come onto my hand or lap. They will all come up on my lap except for one who has only been on my hand willingly only once.

Now when the chicks are on my hand I pet them and talk to them. I think.. hope that they will get friendlier... All I wanted was pet lap chickens, you know?

 

[Chris623]

I'm new to all this chicken "stuff", but one thing I've picked up from people here on the forum, and friends who keep chickens is that some chickens can be pets and some can't. Simple as that. Mostly, hens eat, poop and lay eggs. That's what they are about. Granted, some will attach themselves to you, but if people tell me if you want a pet, go get a dog.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
1 week olds can have bread, in fact i just gave my newly hatched chicks (started hatching last saturday) a piece of bread yesterday.
Even if you just sit with them a few minutes a day they should start warming up to you more.

 

[CallyB57]

Quote:
Well - I think it must just depend on the chicken. I have a BOrpington who runs to me when I get home from work and she will fly over the fence and follow me around. She sits in my lap and lets me pick her up without a fuss. When I go into the house she starts making a weird and very loud noise that sounds like this:

clk clk clk clk clk clk cluuuuuuuuuuuuukkkkkkkk. It is a sound of distress and she makes it also when she hears thunder.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this chicken loves me (as much as a chicken can love a human) I reeled her in with raw peanuts and she never looked back! And if I'm honest...I love her too, and she's quite precious to me.

 

[switters]

When you say raw peanuts, do you mean with the shell on or off?

Also, what are some good treats for baby chicks (1-3 weeks old)?

 

[tdkmom]

We handled ours everyday but there are a few tamer than others. I think maybe since we couldn't tell them apart we were handling some more than others. The ones that were named and are our "pets" are very friendly. 2 Roosters - Pete & Zeus and 3 hens - Maybelline, Rose & Pamela. Rose likes to fly to my sons shoulder and sit there and Maybelline likes to jump on your lap and take a nap.

 

[anthonyjames]

My girls are 4 and 3 and from day one they had them in their laps and were handling them.

They are 8 weeks old know and still get handled a lot but there are a few that want nothing to do with being held.

But when they hear the plate tapping and the word treats they come from either their run or the corn field in an all out sprint to see what we have.

They will perch on my girls arms and eat spag. right out of their hands as well as any other treats we have for them.

They see us come out of the house in the am and meet us at the door to the run. Just depends on how much you handle them.

 

[cmom]

Mine will do anything for some bread. The best way to a chickens heart is through its stomach.