How to make chicks cuddly and pettable? Feeling discouraged...

[CozyDia]

Hello guys! I'm wondering what are your methods to get a chick to be more friendlier, cuddlier and pettable.

I know chickens are food motivated, but I have no success in having them eat any treats. I tried mealworms, wetting their starter food, scrambled eggs, and boiled egg yolks, but they always ignore it.

My first batch of chicks were are a disaster since it was my first time raising chicks and I made a lot of mistakes thus making them super skittish. I was determined to make things right with my second batch of chicks. The second batch consists of 3 chicks that are a little less than 3 weeks old now and their breeds are a Lavender Orpington, Barnevelder, and a Blue Americauna. The most outgoing and curious of the trio is the Orpington.

I made sure to use a brooder that allowed me to reach for them from a ground level and the sides are open mesh so they can see me when I approach. I spend 30mins everyday sitting on the ground and hanging out with them, manually dropping their feed so that they know my hand isn't a threat, making the same clucking sound when I visit and feed them, and petting their wings and crop when their busy eating. Hand feeding them their starter feed is iffy currently. Anything that requires me to reach from above and possibly scare them like cleaning their brooder I always do at night in darkness since they won't be able to see me or anything for that matter.

While they're happy to see me when I'm visiting them and would come up to me, they would back away if I try to pet them anywhere when their NOT busy eating. Whenever I pick them up, they always scream and try to wriggle out. It makes me worried that the small shred of trust that I cultivated with them is shattered whenever I attempt to grab them.

Do I forcefully hold them on my lap until they stop screaming and wriggling away? How do you make your chicks interested in eating treats? What other things did you do to get your chicks to be cuddly and pettable? Does this get any better or am I doomed to have chickens that never want to be held/pet?

It makes me discouraged because I feel like everything I'm doing is wrong and that all this extra effort is worthless.

 

[Shadrach]

Don't grab them is the first thing. Lay your hand flat on the ground with your palm facing upwards with a bit of treat food on it and let them walk on your hand.
Chickens don't like being picked up. It causes them stress. They do eventually get used to it but it takes time. What causes the highest level of stress is having their wings restricted.

 

[CozyDia]

I only ever grabbed them when I absolutely had to like when I had to clean their pasty butts or when they didn't know where their brooder is after jumping out. Since they squirmed so much I was scared they might injure themselves by falling so I held them securely.

I'll try leaving my hand inside their brooder and see if they'll walk on it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Not all chickens will ever want to be held and petted.

In fact, most will never want to be held and petted. They are prey animals so that's too much like being in the jaws of a predator.

But patience and food will eventually have them crowding around your ankles to the point that you can barely walk in the run without kicking one.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

If there’s chow on your hand, they will come!

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Use boiled eggs mine go nuts for those

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Not all chickens will ever want to be held and petted.

In fact, most will never want to be held and petted. They are prey animals so that's too much like being in the jaws of a predator.

But patience and food will eventually have them crowding around your ankles to the point that you can barely walk in the run without kicking one.

So true! I have to shuffle along like an old woman so I don’t step on anyone!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I agree with the above-not all chickens like being cuddled. I don't even bother with mine until they're older and then I feed them out of my hand. That works to make them catchable. Even my skittish leghorn is easy to catch but some of mine like to be held and some don't. I don't think forcing it will help-one of my Salmon faverolles pecks me when i try to catch her and they are a docile breed but I had to nurse her a lot when she was a chick so I was always holding her and she hates me for it. They have their own personalities and while some people have and want cuddly chickens that street doesn't always go both ways so don't be so hard on yourself. Just keep trying and the ones that want to be picked up will get the idea that you're not there to eat them

 

[3KillerBs]

So true! I have to shuffle along like an old woman so I don’t step on anyone!

I sometimes end up standing on the Cochin's foot feathers when I'm working in the coop and just yesterday I stepped on my rooster's foot. Fortunately, the bedding was soft and rooster in question, Ludwig, is gentle and mild-tempered.

 

[McChooky]

Don't grab them is the first thing. Lay your hand flat on the ground with your palm facing upwards with a bit of treat food on it and let them walk on your hand.
Chickens don't like being picked up. It causes them stress. They do eventually get used to it but it takes time. What causes the highest level of stress is having their wings restricted.

My chickens never fail to greet me and eat out of my hand but they hate being held. I respect that. I only pick mine up is to do health inspections or administer medicine.
(Edit) I want to stress the fact that my little flock of chickens have been treated very well but they run like h*** when I try to catch them and act like I'm going to kill them.