Proper way to hold a chicken?

[twilightNC]

Our chickens are life family and when we hold them, we're always gentle and I just pick them up with 2 hands and they're fine.
My mother and her bf came by this weekend and he insisted the "proper" way to hold any chicken was upside down by the legs.:|
He did it to one of my chickens and it kindof went into a trance. He said that was normal. It upset my kids a little and I wasn't sure this was OK.
Is it?
thanks everyone!

 

[turnerstar31]

well if they are your pets than I would carry them the other way but usually if I need to move a few of them to another place I do pick them up by their feet. It doesn't hurt them at all and they do not flop around as much if they are not very friendly chickens. Some of mine aren;t so I prefer to carry them like that if I have to so that I don;t get all scratched up.

 

[Bec]

No way! Their lungs are close to their backbone I believe and when you hang them upside down it can kill them. I pick mine up with 2 hands and cradle them so they feel safe.
I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but I am pretty sure that is right.
It is last resort.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

OMG!!!! If you want to kill it....yeah, I suppose that would be proper! If anyone picked up one of my girls by the legs they would find themselves off my property, on the road, on their rump. The "proper" way to hold your pet chicken is however your chicken says it likes to be held!!!

 

[d.k]

* A chicken's physiology indicates that they ought to remain upright. They lack whatever it is that parrots have that enables them to keep the crop contents firmly in place while upside down. This means that aspiration into the lungs is a definite possibility. That may not matter much in a battery situation-- but, with your pets???

 

[twilightNC]

I knew it!!!!!

I feel so terrible now for letting him do it but I think I was in SHOCK!
*ugh*
Thanks everyone and yes, my chickens are used to being held. Just not like that. The owrst part was that it scared my kids.

 

[Bec]

Quote:
Well now you know....and truth be known...your chicken probably doesnt even remember anymore...lol...

 

[d.k]

* You probably felt the same way I did when my GF's daughter told me I ought to take a pair of scissors and cut my hen's floppy comb off and throw it away "because that thing is f-ugly!!". ~~:O

 

[luvmychicknkids]

d.k :

* You probably felt the same way I did when my GF's daughter told me I ought to take a pair of scissors and cut my hen's floppy comb off and throw it away "because that thing is f-ugly!!". ~~:O

For some reason that gave me a very sad feeling.

Probably because all my girls with floppy combs are my sweetest. Glad you didn't agree.

 

[the simple life]

Its because these people don't understand the concept of chickens being pets. I had someone say to me recently that they don't like disposable pets ( meaning my chickens) I was insulted by the term but am realizing that the majority of people just don't see these as family pets.
I will never forget when I was little I took my pet rabbit in to school for show and tell. The janitor came over, reached into the box and picked it up by the ears and held it up that way. I remember being so scared that I thought his ears would rip off.So I know how that scared your kids, because thats how I felt.
There is nothing you can do about it now, just make sure you keep him away from your pets.