How to get a chicken used to being handled?

[chickendude9]

Not sure if this is the right area for this but...i guess its a chicken behavior.

So, im looking to join the 4H poultry club and enter some of my chickens into show. I know that judges have to hold the bird in all sorts of different ways and i want to know how to get my birds used to being handled like that.

My birds (except for my SS) dont mind me picking them up and petting them , but when i try to open their wings or hold them tilted back a little they freak. They are 13 weeks as of today.

How do you get your birds more comfortable with being held??

 

[Annalithe]

I'd like to know too! My chickens hate being held at all. 4 are 20 weeks and 3 are 10 weeks. I need to be able to pick them up to inspect them from time to time. Right now we just chase them until they are tired enough to let us grab them. :/

 

[Truefire]

spending lots of time with them and around them is the best method I believe, kind of like puppies...you know the more you hold them, talk to them, etc;, they begin to imprint on you as being part of the flock. Can be difficult for us working folks though, I understand..lol...

I allow my chickens to free range and have always caught insects, swatted and killed biting flies, etc; and offered these snacks to my chickens when I am out in the garden, yard or in my shop working. They will run towards me if I kneel down, its just repetition and learned behavioral response. I can easily pick them up when they are near me as I am kneeling and such. However, during the mid-day if they are preoccupied with scratching on the edge of the wood's line they tend to 'ignore' me basically. Shoot, who wouldn't...food on the table and one's hungry.

Try feeding them something of delight in the evenings as you lock them in the coop for the night. I feed mine a little supplemental commercial scratch out of the palm of my hand every evening as they are on sitting on the coop's roosting limbs. They walk up and down my arm as they are feasting..This really has helped I believe.

 

[annewandering]

I am new to this but what I am doing is simple. I have a chair out in the coop. I go out there and sit and talk to them and relax. When they were in the laundry basket/brooder I put it at the foot of my recliner. Every once in awhile I would pick one up to hold for a few minutes.
Now my chicks will walk on my feet and peck at my shoes and laces and the hair on my legs! but only one will jump up on my knee so far. She climbs all over me and settles down on my leg to nap. Surprisingly she is a Red Star. The little ones are 3 weeks old now. I have 3 that are 2 weeks older. Of the older ones there is one that likes me.
Some just dont seem all that friendly and they do not like treats so that is not working. Still I think the trick to it is just perserverance and patience.

 

[Truefire]

that's neat...nothing like enjoying them. Yeah I have some that are not as interested in me as others, as well. I have one Golden Laced Wyondotte that appears to have some 'wild' genetics. She is really artful at hiding out and evading, not sure if this is the breed or if I just so happen to pick a 'wild' card out of the bitty box. lol

Anyone familiar with Golden Laced Wyondottes?

not trying to divert the thread, I apologize.

sounds like perserverance, lovely talk and handling often is the ticket

 

[centrarchid]

I train birds for training kids. Birds trained to come when called and to fly to hand. Best if training process starts early and requires time with birds. Avoid chasing them with hands. Most are trained to come to me either while in brooder or while trained mother brings them to me. If those options past, then confine birds singly to small cage. Sit by cage doing something like reading a book. Periodically toss in a live meal worm. Bird should calm over a couple days of this. Then work at getting bird to take mealworm from your fingers. Once that is realized, open pen and place mealworm in with hand. Repeat until bird approaches your hand. Then work on gently picking up by body. Do not chase. Then give it another mealworm. Ideally bird is stop avoiding you. Then handle each day getting more intrusive with wing handlings each time. Process is slow. Avoid looking directly at bird.

 

[chickendude9]

I am new to this but what I am doing is simple. I have a chair out in the coop. I go out there and sit and talk to them and relax. When they were in the laundry basket/brooder I put it at the foot of my recliner. Every once in awhile I would pick one up to hold for a few minutes.
Now my chicks will walk on my feet and peck at my shoes and laces and the hair on my legs! but only one will jump up on my knee so far. She climbs all over me and settles down on my leg to nap. Surprisingly she is a Red Star. The little ones are 3 weeks old now. I have 3 that are 2 weeks older. Of the older ones there is one that likes me.
Some just dont seem all that friendly and they do not like treats so that is not working. Still I think the trick to it is just perserverance and patience.

This is close to what i do. I have a big log in the chicken run and i sit and feed them treats on it. Only one ( who is at the top of the pecking order) will fly up on my lap. They will all peck at my shoes until i give them a treat. Spoiled little buggers.

Thank you everyone i have gotten some good ideas and i will try them all

 

[iheartnh]

The best way to get any animal used to being handled is to handle it, as often as possible, and preferably in a way the animal likes. When we first got our chicks, they weren't too keen on being held, but I would make sure I picked up each one, held it until it settled, and then placed it back down. Now all but 2 of my hens (the EEs, who are snippy little twits anyway), love to be held and I can tip them whatever way I would need to check for problems. The EEs will still try to evade capture, and still take a while to settle when held, and definitely don't like being manipulated in any way - but they're getting better every time. If they are being especially ornery, I will offer a couple of mealworms while I'm holding them. I'm not above a bribe when necessary.