I can't believe

[Maxine Green]

I can't believe I drove two and a half hours each way and came home last night with this.

A box of week old Blue Jersey Giants.
I usually let my girls raise (adult Black Jerseys) the all the chicks I bring in. They have always done such an outstanding job, I never saw any reason to change the process.
This time I am trying something new. The breeder I got these babies from had such lovely sweet tempered hens. She said they were hand raised and she spent a lot of time with them when they were young. Now don't get me wrong, my girls are nice, easily handled and some even come when called. But this lady's chickens are cuddly. I want these babies to grow up CUDDLY. So, I am starting my new chicken adventure. Wish me luck, because this will be a new cuddly species for me. I have cuddly Briards, cuddly Flemish giants, cuddly mini pigs and a cuddly goat. I want cuddly chickens, and taking all suggestions. Hoping I'm now sorry I didn't just let the girls raise these too.

 

[JaeG]

Get them out of the brooder (you can start when they are a few days old) in a space that's easy to clean (the bathroom is ideal) and just sit on the floor with them and let them do their thing. They will play on and around you, snuggle up to you when they start to get a little cold, and perch on you too. They see you as part of their flock rather than just a big scary hand that reaches into the brooder to grab them.

 

[Maxine Green]

Get them out of the brooder (you can start when they are a few days old) in a space that's easy to clean (the bathroom is ideal) and just sit on the floor with them and let them do their thing. They will play on and around you, snuggle up to you when they start to get a little cold, and perch on you too. They see you as part of their flock rather than just a big scary hand that reaches into the brooder to grab them.

Ok, I will start doing that in the morning. Thanks

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

I love it! I totally want to do this myself someday, but my next hatch (and the only chicken hatch for awhile) is under a broody and I want to let her raise them.

I here that you want them in a brooder that they can see all of you through. Like a see through wall brooder. This way they see you as you and not a disembodied hand coming down from the sky. I want to start showing chickens sometime in the future and am planning to do this in a basically a 2x2 framed rectangular prism wrapped in 1/2" hardware cloth with a door on the wall.

 

[Maxine Green]

I love it! I totally want to do this myself someday, but my next hatch (and the only chicken hatch for awhile) is under a broody and I want to let her raise them.

I here that you want them in a brooder that they can see all of you through. Like a see through wall brooder. This way they see you as you and not a disembodied hand coming down from the sky. I want to start showing chickens sometime in the future and am planning to do this in a basically a 2x2 framed rectangular prism wrapped in 1/2" hardware cloth with a door on the wall.

interesting idea since I wasn't planning this at all i have nothing set up. The first two nights they spent in one of my pig's crates, evicting the pigs to their dismay. This morning they have moved into my bath tub (guess I'll be showering upstairs) until I figure out a the next solution.

Giving chicks to hens to raise is so much easier.

 

[Maxine Green]

Update
Be careful what you ask for!!!!
The chicks are growing up beautifully cuddly and friendly.
They moved out into the chicken house 2 weeks ago.
They were easily accepted by my older hens. Actually since there are more of them they sort of took over the place.
The problem is now I can't get a thing done in the chicken house, they follow me every inch and are under foot every step I try to make. I give up and just sit down and play with them.
I had plans to paint the inside of their house this summer but not sure yet how I'm going to evict them long enough to do pre paint cleaning

I wanted sweet cuddly chickens. Why, Why why?