"How to Bond with Chicks"

[AlicesSilkies]

I have some week old chicks and, they snuggle in my dressing gown in the evenings to watch tv, and they LOVE IT! You need an old towel though as poo protector
Enjoy!

 

[Bostonbea]

I am so jealous! Maybe you guys can help me out. I have gotten my 4 to recognize me as a food provider. They will scurry up to me, hop on my lap and gladly eat the meal worms I'm treating them with. They have even fallen asleep on my lap! However, we move this scene outside and they run from the crazy lady holding worms. What can I do to calm them down outside?

 

[MyNameIs86]

Not sure if you found your answer, but perhaps moving their cage outside so they feel a bit more protected?

 

[MetallicBlue]

We are all trying to bond with our baby chicks as well. They seem okay with us as long as we don't pick them up. They seem okay with each other. I do give some treats, they seem to like celery the best and will run around the cage with the celery in their beak. They look like they are playing "chicken football". I'm a little afraid to take them up to the house due to the three large breed dogs around. The husky seems a little too interested in them at the moment. I think at this point I will just try to spend a little time each day just hanging out with them and talking to them. They do seem to respond some.

 

[Wyandotte103]

I heard that you should steer clear completely clear of your chicks the first week. Does any one here believe in that??

 

[BMaverick]

We've found that the more you play with them, the more they love you. It takes patience and calmness.

And worms...

Indeed. And they will follow you everywhere you go! It's neat, but at times can be annoying when you need to get other work done. haha

 

[MyNameIs86]

When I had my chicks I handled them when they were able to leave the incubator like once or twice a day. one in the morning to check on them and one at night to see them again.
they seemed to be accumated to humans. I rehomed them via craigslist and after many emails and interviews to make sure they got a great home, the new owner had sent me pics a few months later and they looked really good and healthy.

If and when I do hatch again either in february or early march i'll probably do the same thing. But this time I might do something different because i found a tractor supply store and i might have the right food bowl for 3$. lol.
I used a small dish and it kept getting dirty. lol. but i handled mine every day and when i came by the box they looked right at me. lol.

 

[newburt]

Well I may be doing something wrong. Even walking up to the brooder where my 9 day old Plymouth rock chicks are scares them to death and they all huddle in the corner. I thought about feeding them out of my hands a little but each day. Maybe individually , or should I do this as a group?? Any other tips?

 

[missnu01]

We got 6 leghorns, 5 buff orpingtons, 2 sex links, and 4 EEs, and they are all super friendly...I mean they will peck at your fingers when you first reach in the brooder, but it doesn't seem mean at all...just curious if I can be eaten.

 

[QuietPony]

When I first brought mine home, I left them "alone" in that I stared at them with complete fascination and put my hand with pellets on the floor of the brooder and let them jump on and around it. Then, when they seemed comfortable with my hand, I would flip my hand over and scratch through the shavings with my finger (like a momma chicken would do) and I would drop some of the pellets that were in my hand. After doing that a few times, I started encouraging them to jump onto my hand and once they hopped up on their own accord, I would bring them in close for a cuddle. I also made sure they had a nice quiet weekend here before the kids came home from dad's visitation weekend. Now they are used to being handled which amuses my 6 year old daughter to no end.