How to get your chicks to love you

[rhondapiper]

lisahaschickens,

Oh, I agree, I reread my post and it did look like I was saying holding wasn't needed. I do hold them, whether they like it or not, every single day. What I was saying was that they have gotten less handshy the more I've handfed them too.

But, you know what, I'm going to hold the little buggers even more now. I don't want to have only a few out of them be friendly!

 

[lisahaschickens]

cool cool! Good luck to all of you! You can bet I'll be holding the snot out of all my babies in the future! I am sure you will all be successful. Sure, there will always be the chance that a couple just won't ever like it, but I know for sure that most will come to love being held, loved, petted, and snuggled.

 

[Wendy_Darling]

I just found this site!!! My chicks are 4-6 weeks old and judging from what has been posted I have not handled them enough. They are pretty flighty and resist being held. Are they still young enough that with some serious love therapy I can turn them in to hard core cuddlers?

Or is it already too late?

Also, I can't get them to eat out of my hand and I think it's because they always have access to food. Is that why?

 

[CallyB57]

Howdy

- I have to work all day, so end up spending as much time as I can with them late in the afternoon and on weekends, but I do go in every morning and talk to them while they are still on the roost and I tickle their feet. I don't know if I should do this, but in the evening when they are about ready to go in and get on their roost, I pick them up then and hold them as they are coming in to the hen house... talk to and pet them for several minutes (I have 6 in one hen house) and my Silkies are still in crates while I work on another hen house. For some reason they become quite docile when it is bed time and are gentle and agreeable to my motherly (albeit silly) overtures. You might try catching them when they are feeling sleepy like that and get them used to your touching and holding them. Weird thing - the mean old EE rooster is the most docile and agreeable at bedtime. Hope this was good advice.

 

[lisahaschickens]

I, too, have read that they are easy to catch and agreeable when they are sleepy/sleeping. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard it works.

Wendy_Darling -

For me, I knew I hadn't held them enough by four weeks and it was too late for mine. I am still trying at 13.5 weeks, but I feel like it's probably a lost cause. In addition to my one snuggly girl, four or five others will not throw a hissy fit if you are sneaky and catch them (not easy at all - they run if you put your hand out unless it is holding a treat). They cluck nervously when you hold them but they don't fight. My others scream and kick and fight and flap and struggle terribly if you can get a hold of them. So, some are better than others but none like it.

That said, you might as well try now... better late than never! Maybe you can convert a few to love bugs, you never know. I keep hoping myself.

I get sickly jealous every time I read about my chickens' "siblings" (shipment mates) that are all so friendly and love to be held at the other lady's house. I was so convinced that I was doing the right thing by letting them come around on their own terms (I had done TONS of research and been given lots of advice - bad advice), that I actually thought that the other lady was being mean and stressing her babies. Little did I know.

 

[TXmom]

My chickens sound just like yours! They come running over to me anytime I'm outside, they will eat out of my hands, peck at my clothes, they follow me around like a little chicken army, but I better not try to pick them up

They flap and squawk and try to get away. If I sit down on a chair outside, a few of them might climb onto my lap, as long as it's their idea and not mine...LOL. I guess I didn't handle mine enough as babies...I thought I was doing a good job, but mostly hand fed them treats and let them do what they wanted.

 

[lisahaschickens]

TXMom -

Sounds EXACTLY, to a T like my chickens. :::sigh:::

I think we all got the same advice. Well, at least we all know for the future...

I am considering starting a thread to broadcast this advice as best I can so others can avoid the "leave them be, they'll come around, don't push it" advice. Also, I think I'll make it a permanent page on my blog. I can't tell you how sad it makes me when I see pics of kids hugging chickens and carrying them around, and hear about roosters who love comb kisses, etc. Well, at least we're not alone in our people-loving, touching-hating chicken experiences!

 

[WalkingWolf]

Ahhh love is a many splendid thing, in the end it all comes down to being pooped on.

Sorry I could not resist, letting them nap on you is one sure fire way to get lovers out of your chicks. You can pick them up easily of a evening or if you shut the brooder light off just long enough for them to go into sleep mode. Then they will snuggle with almost anything. But get a towel and be prepared to get pooped on.

Sleep seems to be a bonding process for chickens. My wife always picks one chick out to become a lap pet. And once this bond is made it is hard to break. I really have to break her of this, sometimes the chickens decide they don't want to be chickens anymore but human. We have some that are so friendly they will snatch food from your mouth while eating.

 

[annanicole18]

mine are 8 weeks old now and in the past 2 weeks have just figured out that i'm the go to person they would run terrified if i came close to the coop even though i handled them for long periods of time everyday and now realize that i bring treats! food is the way to the little buggers hearts

 

[lisahaschickens]

food might help, but it's not enough. Mine have had food and treats from my hand from day one to no avail. They are always looking for treats from me, but NO PETTING!