New babies.

[Jferlisi]

Hey everyone so today i got 8 new babies,

and i want them to be really social with me. My other ones aren't so social, they run from me all but one of the younger ones who just stops when i get to close to her. I want to be able to pick them up without having to chase them down like i do for the big girls.

So to get to my point i was wondering if anyone has any tips that would help. I keep reading how peoples girls love be held and stuff and i want these girls to be like that.


I got 3 light sussex,3 silver lakevelders and 2 brahmas and they are going to be named after snow white and the seven dwarfs. LOL.

 

[alaskachick]

Hi... I have 14 chickens that I got when they were all 10weeks old. Ever since the day I got them they have avoided me like the plague. They run from me and it is impossible to catch one. They jump and get flighty at my slightest movements. I also read how peoples chickens follow them around like a little puppy. Jump on their laps, lay on their shoulders. I wondered how this could be. I was told that because my chickens were not held as chickies by anyone, (they were mass produced), they did not learn to trust or bond with people. This makes me disappointed, but I still spoil them with food and cleanliness. When one of my chickens goes broody, I am going to let her hatch some babies and then I will handle them daily and see if they bond to me.

 

[Jferlisi]

HAHA, so you know what im talking about, i do the same for mine too, i give them veggies and look for bugs and pull grass for them and clean there run everyday. I spoil them too much. LOL. I am going to try and hold the new ones alot more but there are eight of them so ya. we will see how it goes.

 

[cmom]

There are factors such as how often you handle the birds, how you handle the birds and also some breeds like to be held more than others. I have some that I was able to hold more when they were younger but as they got older the less they wanted to be picked up and held. One way is when you hold them hold them for awhile. Don't pick them up and hold them for just a couple of minutes then put them down. Do a search on BYC. there are some posts and BYC pages about handling birds.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

What was said above. I handled all of my girls when they were babies and growing whether they wanted to or not. Now that they are big girls, only a few let me pick them up willingly. I think they are all individuals and as such, some enjoy attention and interaction and some dont. I still pick up and examine and hold the ones that dont really like it just to remind them that I am the boss, mean them no harm and that I will not hurt them. They will fuss a bit but I dont put them down until they are quiet. I would keep trying to handle them.

 

[HorizonSon]

OR!.....

You could order 100 chicks... Then; just keep the most friendly dozen (or whatever) and have a HUGE bbq cookoff for some benefit or another

 

[lothefarmer]

i had the same problem with my first batch. what i did to fix this is i did not give them a feeder, and they would only be able to eat when i fed them from my hand. (now, i don't recommend this if you aren't at home all day. i am, and i fed them like this frequently so they would not get hungry.)

as they learned to trust me, i would catch them, and feed them while holding them close to me, but still letting them stand on the ground, and they would eventually grow comfortable with me touching them, and then it led to me holding them in my arms off of the ground and having them eat from my hand. i thought that maybe they would make the connection that being picked up results in being fed, and isn't so bad, rather than it being frightening... and it definitely worked as i had planned.

within a week, i saw DRASTIC improvement. i gave their feeder back, an they are still very friendly, and love it when i do come to visit them, even when i don't have treats. now, they do not like being chased, but they don't mind being picked up, held, petted, etc. and they will come up to me, or jump up into my lap.

i recommended this method to a friend of mine, also, and she said she saw improvement as well.

hopefully you can try this or something similar that works.

 

[SassyKat6181]

This is my first time with chicks and they are now 8 weeks old. I have 12, 6 Barred Rock and 6 Black Sexlink. From the day they arrived, I have held them at least twice a day. I held each one at least until they stop peeping at me. The BR are the most friendly.....3 of them hop up on my lap. The other 3 will let me touch them on the ground. I have 1 very friendly BSL who hops up also. 2 of the BSL are touchable and the other 2 BSL are like wild birds. They run, flap and squak(sp) when I even look at them. Some of it has to do with the breed and how much you handle them, but I think some of it has to do with the bird itself. I also gave mine treats from my hand once they were about a week old. So, now when we open the coop door, they all run to us for treats!

 

[cmom]

Quote:
This is quite true. Chickens like routine. If you start a routine like lothefarmer does I'm pretty sure you will see a differance. If you work but are home on the weekends try it on a weekend. Once they get the habit they will probably jump in your lap especially if you have something to eat. The best way to a chicken's heart is through its stomach.

 

[Jferlisi]

Wow thanks everyone for the helpful info. i dont work atm so im home all day. i will have to try the feed with the big girls and the babies i was holding all day while i was home. there is one who loves to be held already. she sees me and stops and ill pick her up and cup my hands and she is out like a light, i will hold her in my lap. when i put my hands on the coop floor she sits down in them and falls back asleep. she is so cute. she will be named sleepy from snow white.