Meat chicks

[Gwhite3678]

I have 16 meat bird chicks - 8 Cornish x and 8 red rangers. They are doing great but gosh are they scared! Every move I make causes a big stampede, poor things. Are they always so flighty?

 

[Sir Sacabambaspis]

I have 16 meat bird chicks - 8 Cornish x and 8 red rangers. They are doing great but gosh are they scared! Every move I make causes a big stampede, poor things. Are they always so flighty? View attachment 3579489

Ruff handling can cause that to make them scared of hand or big movement. That why chicks with young kids get so scared as adults lol.

 

[FunClucks]

Consider putting them in a smaller enclosure for a while, or blocking off part of their enclosure so they can't run away from you. If you work with them daily, handle them several times a day whether they want to be picked up or not, calmly and slowly, they will soon lose their fear. I pick them up to eye level, look them in the eye from the side, and talk to them calmly for a while. This calms them down. Once we make eye contact, and talk for a bit, they seem to be more open to the idea that I'm not a predator. [I am actually a predator, but I'm not going to eat them for a while yet, so no need for them to worry about it every time I appear.]

I processed 21 CX in March, and am growing out 5 ginger broilers now. The CX didn't run from me at all. i had to physically push them out of the way to do anything in the brooder. The ginger broilers however ran away like normal chickens. I haven't focused on handling a whole lot, since they'll be dinner soon, but I have done it a bit since I want them not to attack me or panic when I do health inspections. My eggers get individual attention several times a day. If we can't get to be friends, they find new homes. Life's too short for chickens that bite or persist in thinking I'm terrifying. I've only had a few like that.

 

[Molpet]

Brooders that you come down from the top is like a raptor attack to some birds.
Brooders that open from the side seems to be less predator like.
Mealworms usually helps to make friends.
I don't play with my food anymore, I feel bad that I betrayed their trust