I'm finally a mother hen

[dustyruffle]

Hi everyone.
My baby chicks arrived on Wednesday. All were alive and healthy and so far all is well. They are eating drinking and pooping regularly. I enjoy sitting and watching them though they are skidish about being held. They try to jump out of my hand. I pick them up and hold them on my lap and talk to them. I want them to be friendly chickens and used to people. I have grandchildren who visit and I don't want them to be afraid of them. I can't be with them or watch them all day but check on them off and on through out the day. Any advice for getting them more used to being picked up and held or how long it might take? There are 16 all together so it's hard to determine which I held already because they all run together. I'm excited and learning, so any advice or insight from experience is appreciated. I know there is a "pecking order' but not sure how much id too much. Today one of the chicks grabbed the foot of the marked rooster and started dragging him. I saw it and touched her and she let go. Im not sure if she thought his foot was food or a worm???? or she just wanted to do it. I thought the rooster would be the more aggressive one of them all since the rest are females...hopefully.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Usually, picking them up won't make them friendly, if they don't want to be picked up. (think big predator, swooping down from the sky.) Try feeding them out of your hands and usually they'll begin to jump on your lap as they get more comfortable. Then you can begin holding out your hand and seeing if they'll step on it. This tends to work much better (in my experience.)

Pullets are often just as aggressive as cockerels, and sometimes moreso until the hormones begin to kick in (about twelve-sixteen weeks.)

Toe pecking's common, (they're babies and they haven't figured everything out yet) but be sure it doesn't escalate. They can hurt each other as they get older, and chicks can and will develop a taste for blood. (Generally, that doesn't happen, especially with the amount of space you seem to have, but be aware.)

 

[drumstick diva]

Chickens don't have hands, so they test everything with their beak