I have a photo of me at around one-year holding a baby chick. I can imagine that my parents were babbling rapidly at me, warning me not to squeeze the chick too hard.
That's the main danger of handling chicks. They are very fragile and any squeezing by a toddler can result in compression injuries that, if the chick survives, can follow them for life.
I had one thread in the last week or so asking why a ten-week old chick was wheezing when there were no other symptoms. It was then brought out that the chick had been handled roughly by a child when it was new.
Other than keeping very close supervision on young children when they handle the chicks, handling and close interaction with your chicks will usually produce chickens that are easy to handle as adults.
That's the main danger of handling chicks. They are very fragile and any squeezing by a toddler can result in compression injuries that, if the chick survives, can follow them for life.
I had one thread in the last week or so asking why a ten-week old chick was wheezing when there were no other symptoms. It was then brought out that the chick had been handled roughly by a child when it was new.
Other than keeping very close supervision on young children when they handle the chicks, handling and close interaction with your chicks will usually produce chickens that are easy to handle as adults.
