Picking out chicks - Can you tell personality?

[Searsmom]

I love my orpingtons! At least the ones I raised from chicks. They are my sweeties and while not lap chickens, will run to me whenever I go out (food source). I'll stand on the deck (compost bin below) and yell "CHICKENS!" And they'll come running even if they're all the way in the next field. They are pettable and calm and I can handle the rooster and he's calm around my 5-year old. There's one who has a fixation on my wedding band. Every time it comes in her sight range she wants to eat it. I love 'em! The EE's I got from the co-op are less friendly but not agressive. I have a feeling all the kids reaching hands in at the co-op made them flighty-er than they might have been if they'd been in a quieter atmosphere. And then there's the one orpington hatched from one of my hens - she's crazy and will run at me and growl. She won't be living another year, my 5-yr-old is afraid of her. I think she came from a cracked egg.

My ring!

 

[acsteele]

Have to agree on the orpingtons, we chose them because of their reputation for being docile, we are adding another breed in March, but adding more orpingtons, also

 

[PrairieChickens]

All of my friendliest chickens had one thing in common as baby chicks--when I put my hand into the brooder, they would rush up to me, even jump into my hands. I've found that when a chick flees from your hand or even calmly lets you pick them up, they're less likely to be outgoing and friendly than the ones that actively approach you.

That's not to say you should rule out the less outgoing chicks--some of our best hens grew from timid chicks. Winnie was originally scared of people as a chick, and now she follows us everywhere and is dad's faithful gardening buddy.

 

[GentFarmer]

I'm going to be getting some chicks from a local feed store in the spring and was wondering if there's any way to tell if they're going to like handling when you just hold them at the feed store? Like do the docile ones screech less or flap/fidget less? I'm just hoping for very docile, friendly chickens.

OK. So I'll sound like a loon here (is there a Loon Forum?), but I did spend a LOT of time picking out my chicks. If you go to a feed store or a display/sale where a lot of people are handling the chicks, I think it's actually easier to figure out which ones have shell shock (pun intended), and which ones are at least capable of rolling with it. My oh-so-scientific method was this: I simply waited and watched until there was no one else anywhere near. Then I calmly walked up to the brooder, away from where the food and water were, and simply put my hand down flat on the litter. I sat there with my palm up, and I waited as the chicks walked over and investigated my hand. If one was comfortable enough to actually step up into my hand unprompted, then she got to come home with me.

My favorite anecdote from this period came when three women came and, after watching me for quite awhile, figured out my system. They all came and stood behind me and actually started cheering on the chicks. "Come on! You want to go with him! He's going to be a good dad!" It was rather amusing, and everyone had a good time with it.

I also went to two different locations where breeders were displaying the breeds I wanted. I duplicated it in every location, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Could I tell the personalities when they were a day old? Nah. Not really. But my system seems to have worked enough that my birds all grew into healthy amplifications of the peeps they were.

 

[ChickMami]

That sounds like a great method! I'll use it when I go to pick out mine

 

[subhanalah]

I'm so glad I came aross this post! I was about to ask the same exact question. I had the same idea about putting my hand in, it's the same way you pick out the friendliest gerbils.