my chicks hate being picked up even in the brooder. im scared to go out with them, will they run from me?
We have an adage around our place that my wife could tame a rabid badger, so the chickens didn't seem much of a challenge for her. She started by taking each one out and stroking their chest just when they started getting their first real feathers in. She seemed to think that they liked it 'cuz this was a spot that wasn't easy for they to preen, and the thinking was that the new growth would somehow itch or something. Maybe she's part chicken, I dunno, but she went from holding them and doing that to just reaching into their pen/brooder - where they would allow her to do the same. It's only been a little over three weeks and now when she reaches in most of them will stop and stretch their necks as if they are waiting for their neck rub. It's crazy to watch, but predictable for Mrs. Doolittle.
Also when we first started taking them outside, we had a short roll of rabbit fence that we would just uncoil into a rough oval shape between two of the garden's raised beds. We would take turns sitting in the middle with our new ducks on one end, the chicks on the other, and their food and water right in front of us. After a short while the chicks get more interested in the food and water than us. We had also put a feed pan full of water at the duck's end, so once they jumped in they were happy sitting there and jumping back out to sun themselves for most of the day, other than the occasional terror raid to run the chickens off of the food. Even when not picking them up, we all take turns putting our hands in their brooder/ pen and just letting them get used to having hands in their space. We also take turns presenting feed right out of our hands, which they now don't hesitate in the least to hop over and start pecking at. This is our first experience keeping poultry since my wife was a little girl, but it seems to be working so far.
BTW, their brooder/pen is a garden wagon with steel mesh sides and a plastic tray liner that I put extra wire in the corners of to round them out. Eventually we added a wrap of the rabbit fence to extend the height, but the wagon was usually sitting next to a desk where we keep an extra computer, out on our four season sun porch. I'm sitting there now and the chicks are about three feet away and standing just a little bit lower than I'm sitting, and they seem to find my typing skills simpatico with their own pecking. The wagon was easy to start wheeling out the door to get them a little sun time, and our Aussies started sleeping right in front of them without any real bother or nervousness. Our bigger one is still trying to herd our cats, so she gets a little excited/annoyed sometimes when the kitten gets too curious. Can't wait to see everybody loose at once.
Two of our chickens like to hop up on top of anything that'll get them higher than the rest of the birds, but for the most part, where ever one goes, they all go. I would try the loose roll fencing pen idea just to make sure they don't make a break for it. A 15'-25' roll is pretty cheap stuff, and there's always somethin' that needs protectin' later. Just watch out 'cuz ours were fluttering up and out by about three weeks (aged from when we bought them from
Tractor Supply - where we never bothered to ask how old they were). The rabbit fence we used stood about 30" high, was pretty decent weight with its plastic coating, and completely self supporting when used like this.
They all do crash big time after spending the afternoon out of doors. The poor little chickens just flop down and stretch out so tired I had to keep checking to make sure they were still alive and breathing. Seemed to take a good bit of steam out of our pet pigs, er... I mean Mallard duckings, as well.
Good luck.
