How often do you handle your chicks?

[mamdoe]

Just wondering...especially for those of you that say you have friendly chickens that "love to be held"
How often do you handle them?

 

[chicmom]

Hello mamdoe! I try to handle my chicks at least two times a day. More if I can. Just hand feeding them and talking to them and petting them. The more, the better. I usually get very small batches of chicks, so I try to make sure I handle each chick a little bit during each visit.

 

[Keene's coop]

as much as you can if you want them to get used to you.

 

[anniem]

At first it seemed like we were holding them probably 4x a day, usually 2 of these were just short making sure I picked each one up handlings. Once they got big enough to run around a bit (a jump out of the bin), it was probably 2-3x. Mostly that the first thing my 2.5yo says when he wakes up in the morning is "I wanna hold chickies!"

They are now 6 weeks and are out in the garage so it's been 1-2x of sitting and petting them with the cage door open and then 1 longer stretch of being outside in a pen (now that it's been nice enough). Before that we'd cover the spare bed with towels and let them run around on there 1-2x a day.

 

[cleoandtheo]

When they were ity-bity, I held them several times a day for a 5-10 minutes each. And we have this old comforter we'd spread out on the floor in the living room & all of us would sit around the edges and feed them and play with them.... I couldn't leave them alone! They are our first chickens.

I still hold each chick every single day for several minutes at the very least. They never like being picked up, but once I've got them, they calm down and relax easily. Olga, my EE, will even lay on her back in my arms like a baby! I don't think they are ever going to come running to me to be held, but they do love to see me coming, since I am the bringer of food!

 

[Woods_Woman]

I hold my chicks several times a day, they are also in the flo of household traffic so they see & hear us quite a bit. Mine get quite tame cause I like to give them treats like hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese & bread..I've found the way to their hearts is good food/treats, and makes them quite tame. I like to get them to take treats from my hands early while they are young.

 

[teach1rusl]

If you're able, keep your brooder in a room where your family spends a lot of time for the first few weeks. Them seeing and hearing you a lot helps too IMO. Of course I handled all five of mine a LOT when they were little, and only two of them are really friendly. Two others are docile and easy to handle, and one does not like to be picked up at all. So personality (of the chick/bird) is a big factor as well. Oh...and my two most loveable birds NOW, weren't the most loveable as chicks, so personalities do change as they age.

 

[pulletkeeper]

Not often enough. I try to play with mine, talk to them, pick them up, etc. but it never seems to be enough. My next batch of chicks that I will be getting this week I am going to try to hold at least a couple times a day.

 

[SkyWarrior]

As much as possible. Usually two or three times a day (or more).

 

[nancypo]

Several times a day, work days maybe once or twice.