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featheredgifts

featheredgifts

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Hello from SoCal!

My 2 boys were given 6 baby chicks only 7 days old by the Easter Bunny! This was a very exciting day! They were given 2 Plymouth Rocks, one Rhode Island Red, one Americana, and 2 Leghorns - that was a surprise because we had requested the bunny drop off 2 Orpington's! Regardless, they are all wonderful and so cute, I could watch them all day.

We all helped in building a comfortable coop once they were old enough to go outdoors and they seem very happy. We let them out often to wander around in the yard and socialize with a couple of our other pets, 2 very friendly dogs, a pit bull and a bulldog.

All the ladies are friendly and very, very curious about what's going on around them. They gather at the front of the coop when we come outside and follow me around with the garden hose.

I do have a concern though. I was afraid to handle them when we first got them because they were so fragile, I didn't want to stress them. They will come up to us, but are still reluctant to let us touch them but they will eat from our hands. Is this normal at this young age? Is there anything I can do to help them feel more comfortable around us without forcing the issue? Yesterday our Americana flew up to my back and sat there for several minutes before she lost interest and fluttered to the ground — to be honest this freaked me out a bit, but I kept it together for her sake!

Looking forward to seeing and hearing about all of your chicken happenings!

Best,
sj
 
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Sounds like a cute little flock you all have there.
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As far as handling them young, I've never had a problem with it. I've raised chickens since I was a kid, and we'd run around with the chicks all day, playing with them, watching movies, etc. Didn't have a problem with overhandling. After a long stint of college and then living in apartments, then living in an HOA, the hubby and I bought a house with NO HOA!
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So of course, chickens came shortly after.

He and I bought Australorps at 3 weeks old, and we handled them every day. We'd watch movies with them, pick them up, etc. Now they're 19 weeks old and still skittish. No idea why that would be. They tolerate a little petting, and don't fuss too much when picked up. They will occasionally jump up onto our chairs and definitely love treats. I guess sometimes you just can't account for individual temperament.
 
Hi and welcome to BYC!

I got my chicks used to being picked up by just "keeping" them when they hopped on my hands for treats. I'd hold out a handful of chick feed, and it wouldn't take long for one to hop up. At first I'd just pet her then let her hop down, but gradually I progressed to holding each one. Eventually they got used to being picked up from the ground, and at this point they are all very docile and tame.

Congrats on your new little flock!
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Welcome to BYC
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Glad you joined us! As the above posters said handle them lots, give them treats, spend time with them. Treats is a good way to win a chicken over though! Mealworms...
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Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Good luck with your chickens! Feel free to ask any questions.

As far as taming goes chicks are naturally shy. It'll take them some times to get used to you. In the meantime, handle them, talk to them, hand feed them, cuddle them and love on them. They will soon grow attached to you.

Here's some links to
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-raise-a-chicken-as-a-family-pet
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-socialize-baby-chickens
 
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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So glad you are enjoying your flock! I handle them lots from day one. Yes, they are fragile, but the more they are handled and touched, the more tame they are. You might go sit with them on the ground or floor of the coop or run with some goodies. Let them climb all over you. Do this every day until they are comfortable sitting on your lap. Eventually you should be able to touch them more. And once they get to the laying age, they WILL get easier to pick up and handle. They will stop and squat for any large form that leans over them.

Good luck with your babies and welcome to our flock!
 
Wow what a warm and feathery welcome!

Thanks so much to each one of you for taking the time out of your day to respond to me and my concerns, and offer up helpful information.

Now its time to head out and spend some more time with the ladies of the yard.
 
Welcome to BYC, and congratulations on getting your chicks. Don't be afraid to pick them up and gently handle them. They are not quite as delicate as they appear to be. I have seen films of the newly hatched chicks being wing sexed at hatcheries, and its surprising how the male and female chicks are just tossed left and right into the two boxes used to separate the two sexes, and while I wouldn't advise handling them quite that roughly, my children, and now my granddaughter, have picked them up and petted them for years without any casualties. Good luck with your flock.
 

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