How to get my chicks to "like" me and cuddle

[Rolison]

I just got chicks a few days ago. They are so cute but i feel bad when they run away from me when i try to pick them up. How can i help them get used to human touch. I heard of people having chickens climb into there lap and take a nap. I whould love to learn there secret on how to get my chicks to do this. Thanks.

 

[Hamstery]

Newbie here...but from what I've read, it just takes time and patience. I find that one, out of my four, is much friendlier than the rest. ( she's a barred rock) she likes being touched and cuddles in my neck. The others are still leery. And one runs the other way as fast as she can.

 

[janelle18]

I know how you feel... when I stick my hand in the box, they all go running around peepin'! I think the more you handle them, the more they will get used to being handled? That's what I am going to try anyways!

 

[Kevin565]

I think it depend a lot upon the individual bird. I'd suggest continue to hold them also feeding treats. They should warm up to you

 

[COUNTRYBOI]

catch ya some small grass hoppers and make them come take it from you I've done this with lots of things even wild lizards a friends of my hatched wild turkey eggs he found years ago and everyone wished him luck on taming them.. they 3/4 grown and would climb up in his lap and peck corn out of his mouth....followed him ever were he went they would eat bugs as he made them jump....

 

[Vickilynn45]

We have been taking our chicks out in the back yard daily supervised- they are two weeks old. They absolutely love it, and we sit on the ground and they will alternate sitting all over us, and playing and pecking in the yard. Yesterday, for the first time, they all crawled onto my lap in a row and cuddled with me. It was so precious and I didn't want to move and spoil it. They slept on and off, pushing each other aside now and then to get closer to me. Every now and then they would reach their neck up and pull my hair with their beak. I still have two chicks out of the six that don't like being handled as much as the others. And of course it depends on their mood- somedays they will come up to me and let me stroke their bellies, and other days they quickly run from my touch. But it's getting easier and easier to hold them- I think what is helping is the trips outside with us.

 

[Panth]

The first trick to getting cuddly chicks is having a brooder big enough to actually sit inside with them. A LOT. You don't want to be reaching down for them, try to get a brooder that you can reach ACROSS to the chicks. I use a child's swimming pool after the first week in the box brooder (it is harder to keep drafts out of the pool, so I use a box with high sides the first week). Spend an hour or so every day just sitting with them and they will soon jump up on you as soon as you step in. Mine are 9 weeks old now and will jump right up in my lap when I'm sitting in a lawn chair in their run now. 2nd trick is scramble egg. Mine will go absolutely nuts to get some scrambled egg. I swear I could hold them upside down and they will just be focused on the egg! (lol, don't worry, I haven't done this). But they have jumped out of the brooder when they see me coming with a plate!

 

[chicks47]

My family is on our second batch of chicks. The first time we had 5. Got them when they were 1 day old. We named them and they were raised in our house so they heard us all the time and we attended to them regularly. Unfortunately we only have two left from that flock, but they come when the hear the call. They follow me pretty well etc. (Me more so than my husband b/c I of course am the caretaker)
So now we have 9 new chicks. These were 1 week old when we got them. A friend hatched them for their child's science fair project. His sister was very attached to one of the chicks. I now try to spend time with them, pick them up etc. With 9 though, I think I only focus on four honestly. The other 5 look a lot alike and I don't remember what the kids all named them. I have my two favorites of course so If I can get a couple friendly birds I hope the others will trust me when we get outside. I think they are certainly a bit more fun when they respond to you.

QUESTION for those of you taking your chicks outside. I live in Northern Illinois. This time around we are keeping our chicks in the garage. (Made such a mess in the house last time) What is the temperature by you? I would like to take mine out to play a bit, get out of the box. Unfortunately these next couple days are pretty chili though. They are only 2 weeks old now. Thanks

 

[aoxa]

The first trick to getting cuddly chicks is having a brooder big enough to actually sit inside with them.  A LOT.  You don't want to be reaching down for them, try to get a brooder that you can reach ACROSS to the chicks. I use a child's swimming pool after the first week in the box brooder (it is harder to keep drafts out of the pool, so I use a box with high sides the first week).  Spend an hour or so every day just sitting with them and they will soon jump up on you as soon as you step in.  Mine are 9 weeks old now and will jump right up in my lap when I'm sitting in a lawn chair in their run now.  2nd trick is scramble egg.  Mine will go absolutely nuts to get some scrambled egg.  I swear I could hold them upside down and they will just be focused on the egg! (lol, don't worry, I haven't done this). But they have jumped out of the brooder when they see me coming with a plate!

x2

Sit and let them come to you. They like to interact this way much better!

 

[mlabresh]

I would recommend putting a little bit of their food in your hand and reaching your hand toward them very slowly. Once you are near them, just hold very still and wait. It may take some time. At first mine would walk around my hand and look at it, then they'd start touching me with their beak, then gently pecking me to see if I'd react, then they would start to take the food. After a while, they started climbing into my hand, lying down and falling asleep. I have 3 out of six (1 in particular) that will come hop into my hand when I reach into the cage now with or without food. The others will eat out of my hand and occasionally lay close to me or rest their head on my fingers. My chicks are all black star chicks and are 1 week old today. I still have one who is super skittish (she was snatched by the dogs after one of the kids accidentally let her onto the floor), but I take her out very slowly and gently now and then and just cuddle her close and talk to her until she calms down. She still trembles a little, but she's warming up to me as well. I had to give her a foot bath today (stepped in poo and had it dried onto a foot along with a bunch of bedding), and she did surprisingly well with that.

Not sure how your brooder is set up... Ours is a guinea pig type cage with card board around the sides to insulate and a side door that makes it handy to sit beside the cage with our hand in through the door. They can see/hear us coming through the top and the door of the cage and I always talk to them as I approach the cage to let them know I'm there (don't want to sneak up on them).