Picking up chickens by their feet

[LI chickie]

My chicks are now about 15 weeks old and I have never picked them up by their feet.
I saw this on the TV Show Coop Dreams this morning. Once you grab their feet and hold them upside down you can stroke/support them by the breast and they are calm. It said to release them by laying the chicken on its side.
I guess this is something I should try?

 

[quackingdom]

I personally don't think you should try it. This is a quote from a book called Chickens: Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit, by Sue Weaver. Chapter 2 and page 30:

“Another thing beginners may not know: don't carry chickens by their legs! It can hurt them, it's undignified, and it scares them silly. People think chickens don't mind this position because they don't flop. Well, can you say 'shock?'

You should carry a chicken close to your body with your right arm hugging his body against yours. Then, your right hand can hold his feet while your left hand can support his chest. Give your chickens a break! How would you like to be carried around upside down?”

If I was a chicken, I don't think I would like it either.

Hope this helps.

 

[LI chickie]

I guess this was a practice started by those who didn't feel their chickens were anything other than a food source. Goes to show you don't believe all that you see on TV.

 

[quackingdom]

Yes.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

It is a shock thing, you can pick up even a wild hawk by its legs, and it will not fight back because it will be so shocked.
I have never heard of it hurting a chicken but I do know it would break the legs of waterfowl.

This reminds me of the myth that flipping a dog on its back makes it calm. The dog doesn't get still because it is calmed when you put it on its back, the dog freezes because you are treating it like an alpha wolf scolding it for something...

TV is good for piquing interest in poultry, not for poultry keeping lessons.