I have 6 chicks tha are like 15 days old, i play with them in the yard and hold them and feed them worms. i have things they can jump and play on. but i think only 1 loves me. Ellie sits on my head and knees and finger every time im around, (which is alot) why dont my other chicks do this?
How to get your chicks to love you
- Thread starter Isaacman
- Start date
Give them a little time! What I noticed with my groups they seem to get a little flighty at around 2 weeks. All they do is run. Chicken puberty????Once they get threw this stage they will be fine just keep doing what you are doing.
My new babies go running into the corner when they see me coming into the brooder house. Why I don't know. I only come in to feed, clean and water them and say hello. I just remember when my husband brought home some wild pullets from the feed store that hated me too at first. After a while of feeding them, giving them treats and hanging out with them, they would see me come outside and come running to my side and not leave me until I went back in. Even then, they would come to the glass door and stare inside wanting to be let in. I keep telling myself my babies will love me too one day!
I got the bad advice to not push it and they would come around with time. That is not true. If you want them to be your friends (which was what I wanted with all my heart and didn't get) - pick them up and hold them until they stop fighting and screaming. Do this all the time and most will get used to it and learn to like it and then they will ask to be picked up and petted, etc. I have learned that from all my reading on here, plus that is what the lady did who split my order of chicks with me. She held them all the time despite the complaining and they came to love it. I sat with mine and played with mine and didn't force them into anything and now at 13.5 weeks old, they like to be around me but won't let me so much as touch them, with one exception. Like yours, I have one that decided all on her own to be friendly and she jumps on me and likes to snuggle. That's one chicken out of my 15... I'm pretty heartbroken... but you don't have to go through that... start now and I bet you'll have success! It would have been better to do it from day one, but late is better than never! Good Luck to you!
All chickens have theyre own personality.I have one chicken that lets me pick her up but the rest run away,and one has to be with the chickens or she chirps as loud as she can
When I go see my chicks, the biggest one and the smallest one rush my hand. The bigger one wants an 'elevator ride' and gets visibly pleased when I lift her up in the air. She's also trying to climb my arm to get to my face. She's a black australorp and the boldest of the bunch. The other 5 are more wary, but all but the 2 buff orps come over soon after seeing the bold ones aren't getting killed by the scary hand.
I've only had them a week and I was getting worried they'd never come around, but now I put a bunch of starter in my hand and let them eat from that. It makes them more comfortable and less afraid. They still mostly don't want to be picked up, but they are showing more and more interest every day, and less fear. I'm starting to have to scoot them out of the way now, whereas before, they'd all flee in terror whenever I tried to do something in the brooder.
I bother them about three times a day, just for a minute in the morning, but for 15 minutes or twice each evening, for 7 chicks.
Good luck! I'm beginning to think food and talking to them are the key.
I've only had them a week and I was getting worried they'd never come around, but now I put a bunch of starter in my hand and let them eat from that. It makes them more comfortable and less afraid. They still mostly don't want to be picked up, but they are showing more and more interest every day, and less fear. I'm starting to have to scoot them out of the way now, whereas before, they'd all flee in terror whenever I tried to do something in the brooder.
I bother them about three times a day, just for a minute in the morning, but for 15 minutes or twice each evening, for 7 chicks.
Good luck! I'm beginning to think food and talking to them are the key.
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- Thread starter
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Thanks for all the help. i clean their booder every morning and night and give them worms, and take them out side to play when im home for lunch and bout a hour at around 5. im going to try to feed them from my hands.
my chicks run into the walls of their booder when i open up the top!
my chicks run into the walls of their booder when i open up the top!
rhondapiper -
I did exactly what you are doing - held chick feed in my hand and let them eat from it - they'd run to it and jump on it and eat the feed. But if I tried to touch them, they ran screaming. I was told they would come around. I sat with them for HOURS every single day - talking to them, moving slowly toward them, trying to gently touch them, feeding them feed and treat from my hands. It is not enough. I know it now and I really want to share what I have learned from my experience so others don't have to have the same results as me.
If you don't force them to be held, most won't ever like it. I have talked to many, many, many people on here who confirm that fact. Like I said, I had one batch of chicks that were split between me and another lady - she forced them to be held and now hers all like it and are nice and snuggly. I took is slowly, fed them from my hand, sat with them for hours, etc. My chickens RUN to people when they see them. They like to hang out with me - graze at my feet or under my legs, if I'm sitting, peck at my clothes, gather around me, follow me around. All this, yes. But only one out of 15 will tolerate any touching. She got that way all on her own. She flies into my lap or climbs on my shoulder and takes a nap and likes to snuggle. But, even she hates to be picked up. It makes me so sad every day.
I thought I was doing the right thing by not stressing them when they were young. But, they aren't overly stressed by being held when they're babies and they do come to love it. Now, if I ever need to do something like pick one up to check it for mites or injuries, etc, it'll be darn near impossible. I read stories and see pictures of chickens on here everyday that love to be held, snuggled, hugged, carried around, etc, etc. I wanted that SO BADLY. And, if you want it, you CAN have it. Just hold them everyday until they calm down. It's the only way and it really works.
I did exactly what you are doing - held chick feed in my hand and let them eat from it - they'd run to it and jump on it and eat the feed. But if I tried to touch them, they ran screaming. I was told they would come around. I sat with them for HOURS every single day - talking to them, moving slowly toward them, trying to gently touch them, feeding them feed and treat from my hands. It is not enough. I know it now and I really want to share what I have learned from my experience so others don't have to have the same results as me.
If you don't force them to be held, most won't ever like it. I have talked to many, many, many people on here who confirm that fact. Like I said, I had one batch of chicks that were split between me and another lady - she forced them to be held and now hers all like it and are nice and snuggly. I took is slowly, fed them from my hand, sat with them for hours, etc. My chickens RUN to people when they see them. They like to hang out with me - graze at my feet or under my legs, if I'm sitting, peck at my clothes, gather around me, follow me around. All this, yes. But only one out of 15 will tolerate any touching. She got that way all on her own. She flies into my lap or climbs on my shoulder and takes a nap and likes to snuggle. But, even she hates to be picked up. It makes me so sad every day.
I thought I was doing the right thing by not stressing them when they were young. But, they aren't overly stressed by being held when they're babies and they do come to love it. Now, if I ever need to do something like pick one up to check it for mites or injuries, etc, it'll be darn near impossible. I read stories and see pictures of chickens on here everyday that love to be held, snuggled, hugged, carried around, etc, etc. I wanted that SO BADLY. And, if you want it, you CAN have it. Just hold them everyday until they calm down. It's the only way and it really works.
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