"How to Bond with Chicks"

[happylittlehens]

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?

My chickies are 9 days old as well. I (and my kids) will put a little chick food in my hand and lay my hand flat in their brooder. They will all jump up on my hand and peck at the food (some even scratch with their feet). We have been handling our chicks from day one and they still huddle in a corner if we just come at them and try to pick them up. But, if we lay our hand in first, they always think there is food in it and will climb right in. Much easier to pick up that way and they're less stressed obviously. They're not nearly as scared anymore. Also if we are holding them and they start cheeping loudly, we immediately set them back in the brooder. We don't want them to feel threatened at all. Hope this helps

 

[newburt]

Thanks!! It does help.

 

[Stewarts]

Just hatched 23 chicks last weekend. They are all healthy and very active. We made a very large cardboard brooder, so large I can comfortably sit in one end and have them come to me. I give them their favorite treat - cooked, mashed egg yolk with a little egg white in it. I have it on my fingers so they come and peck it off my hands. I also give them, on a regular basis now, chick starter slurry - just add enough water to make a soupy mess and they love it. Homemade, plain and unsweetened yogurt is also a favorite.

Since they tend to dash away, I sit in the brooder and let them come to me. I pick them up carefully (not from the top as that will scare them) from my sitting position; they cuddle into my hand and drop to sleep right away. I also have two turkey chicks that I want to encourage to be friendly as they get plenty big.

Stephanie - first timer

 

[JennT]

I was just talking about this with my 7 year old. We have found that when picking them up, to hold them against our neck, under our chin, then slowly moving them away. For our chicks, once we started doing this, they started to settle in and sit. The one we named Blu likes to fly from that position to our shoulder and just perch and watch what's going on. For our smallest, the cupped hand originally mentioned works best. I too thought about the whole 'in the egg' thing. We have three now (unsure of sex, but Blu sure acts like a rooster), and ae preparing for five more who should hatch in a few days. I'm hoping that the same techniques work, and will be trying some of the other things mentioned here as well.

 

[nab58]

I was told by someone I met in Tractor Supply that chicks do really well if fed a little boiled chopped egg. I'm happy to hear others are doing the same.
I tried it today with my six RSL chicks and they LOVED it. They climbed right up on my hand and were so excited!

I've never had chickens before and have fallen in love with the little buggers.

 

[newburt]

Well I am a thirty one year old grown man and for the first time today I clucked like a hen repeatedly LOL. I have been trying to bond with my chicks. I put my hand flat in their brooder today and let it sit there for a good five minutes and the chicks were hysterical!!!! They avoided my hand at all costs even though I had chick food in it. I began to calmly cluck like a hen and they all instantly began to calm down and get comfortable and within ten seconds they all started eating out of my hand. They got so comfortable that they started jumping up on my hand and eating, even if I picked my hand up slowly about 6 inches from the bottom of the brooder. If anyone had come up at that time they would have thought I was crazy but the chicks really responded to this technique. These are Plymouth Rock sexed pullets that I bought at Tractor Supply company last Thursday. They were 2 days old, so I was told. Most of them are beginning to get their reddish colored feathers coming in all over their bodies and they flap their wings and try to fly. I cant wait until we have some warm enough days that I can let them roam a little in the small pen I am building for them.

 

[newburt]

This is by far one of the funnest hobbies I have ever embarked on!!!! Its highly addictive. my chickens and chicks have quickly become my pets, even though I have never been a pet person.

 

[aggiemae]

Try turning them over onto their backs in you hand, they should calm down almost immediately and stay calm once to turn then back onto their legs.

 

[vols6286]

I've heard the same thing but after much prodding from the daughter I broke down and got some freeze dried mealworms. Started them on them once they were two weeks old. Once the hand goes in the brooder it's on like Donkey Kong. Took them out for their first foray yesterday as it was warm. You can see how friendly they've become.

 

[Stewarts]

Now that's adorable, a clucking man! Glad it worked.

Stephanie