How often do you hold your chicks or chickens to make them love it?

[PippinTheChicken]

THE STORY OF A SWEET CHICK
One chick, Kiwi, was very cuddly from the start. I remember trying to put him in the brooder- he didn't get off my hand! I felt a connection with him that moment.

I held him at least 10 times a day. We played, napped, cuddled and hugged. He liked to take dust baths on my lap sometimes. I even trained him (at arouond under a week old) to jump onto my leg. We played dress up too!

Our daily routines continued everyday. I couldn't keep my hands off of him, and he couldn't keep his little fluffy feet off me!
One time, he was so excited to see me, he causually jumped out of the brooder and ran to me... "Time for a brooder change!"
I made a brooder out of dog fences and it was large enough for me to sit in with them!

We took so many photos together! And him and his siblings went on "field trips" to the garden, coop and run. Kiwi ran and played, but he always came back for a cuddle when he got tired!

At 7wks old, ot was time for him and his siblings to move to the outdoor run with the hens. I was upset he had to leave but I was happy for him because he loved it outside!
We still cuddled regularly (maybe a little less than before).
At 10wks old he had to go to the vet for an ingrown feather problem and he was so good with the vets. He didn't struggle at all! He was eventually cured!

He integrated well into the flock and grew up into a handsome rooster! He is now atound 20 weeks old and is crowing and mating and protecting. But he always has time for a cuddle and a lap nap!

Sorry that was a long story. If you have a connection with an animal, never let it go. Make sure they know that you love them, and they'll love you back! Sorry that was slightly cheesy!

 

[Vicker]

I've found it doesn't really matter. Some will be super docile and some will be flighty no matter how much they were handled. I actually prefer them to be flighty now because the tamest are always the ones that get killed by a predator. Their instinct to flee serves a survival purpose. If I need to catch one, I wait until they go in the coop, usually after they have roosted for the evening.

 

[Howdy Chickens]

In general, there is no reason to hold a baby chick except for it makes you feel good. I know that nobody wants to hear that. I see kids trying to sleep with their chicks. They just need to grow up feeling safe by being close to you and eating out of your hand. Once they grow up, they trust you and will be easy to handle.

 

[olivigus]

I have a reliable broody Buff Orpington who has now raised three batches of chicks over the years for me. I let her sit on ceramic eggs for 3 weeks then get day-old babies to slip under her at night. It's worked every time and she is an excellent mother. This year, really for the first time, she has become super friendly with me. When I go into the pen and sit on the ground, she bustles over and wants to sit on my lap and have me pet her. I'm not sure what changed, but it's been fun and has made taming and bonding with the youngsters really easy. They see mama connecting with me and they come over and want to sit on my legs and be petted too. Although, as others have said, the degree of friendliness seems to be both breed and individual personality dependent. For example, I got two cream legbar chicks this year and had read that they tend to be rather skittish. One is indeed quite shy, but the other is the friendliest of the bunch. She was jumping up to perch on my hand just a few days in, and continues to be very interested in interacting with me and having her feathers stroked.