new Babes and bonding

[shilo356]

My 26 babes came on Friday and they are doing well, but they are very shy and sensitive to noise and scatter when aproaching the 'nursery'. I have found that if I continuosuly make the noise a broody hen makes or that cluck noise a mother hen makes when shes with her chicks they imediately calm down and it makes it easy to pick them up, and they ALL are much calmer. It is making the bonding, and getting to know each chick so much easier. I also leave a radio on all the time when I am at work so the hear the human voice..but its the clucking imitation that puts them at ease. Try it...really works...I used my roomate as a guinea pig..he's not an animal person, but as long as I made these noises all the chicks were at ease...try it you will be amazed...really listen to that cluck noise a broody hen or mother hen makes and imitate it when handling your new chicks

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

good advice! thanks for the tip, I never would have thought of that!

 

[Ferngully]

DD does this with all our little babies (I just can not make the noises well). It really does work she has babies hopping all over her all the time.

She is also the one in charge of taking the babies outside when they are old enough on their first field trip, lol. She taps the ground and makes noises. Such the good little chicken mama.

 

[shilo356]

I am very surprised at how few responses I got to this posting. Again today I had someone that wanted to see the babes...a non animal person and they approached the nursery way too fast and wanted to pick up one of the babes and they scattered to the far end..SOO>> i STARTED CLUCKING with the same noise momma hens make and they imediately calmed down. My friend Rachel imitated the same noise ...shes still out there with the babes..dinner was ready 30 minutes ago..chuckle chuckle and Rachel keeps saying I'll be there in a minute (she makes much better momma hen noises than me )

 

[morninggloryhatchery]

Wow! I am definetly gonna have to try this! I have 12 Guinea eggs that are going to hatch in 7 days and i will try it on them. Thanks for the advice!