Should I handle baby chicks?

[SueAndHerZoo]

Hawks seem to be a chicken's worst fear. Try to not come at them from above. Come in from the side if you can.

A fish net comes in very handy when trying to catch older chickens if you can't wait until they are sleeping and pick them off of the roost at night. A fish net is too big for chicks though.

My 3' x 6' brooder is big enough that I cannot reach the far corners so I use a smaller net. I made mine myself out of wire, duct tape, and the mesh from a bag of fruit. It was harder than I thought it would be.

Good idea about the net. Since I have a backyard pond I have a few long-handled nets I can use, just will be phobic about hitting one of them in the head! Actually I just brought them back in from their first taste of outdoors and it was easier to catch them than I thought. They are fast, but they don't go far, they just keep darting back and forth in a small area. Of course that area was the portion of the run UNDER the coop so I had to be on my hands and knees (on rocky ground) to grab them. I'll bet they'll sleep well tonight.
Sue

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Glad it worked well.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

IMO I appreciate being able to pick up a chicken without having to chase it or use a net. That trust is built over time. It’s best to build that relationship early as possible in their development.

So that's what I was wondering: is my reaching for them in the brooder (from up above) going to make them fear me or is it going to help us build a bond? I spent the first week just talking to them, sitting near the brooder, and providing their food and water to get them to trust me, but now I want more. But if chasing them around the brooder to pick them up is making them dislike me, I don't want that.
Sue

 

[TexasBlues]

I hand feed them in the brooder to get them used to moving towards my hand. When I feed them I call out “here chicky chicky” and they quickly catch on. As they munch on the food I will pick them up and gently set them down to get them used to being handled.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have read here on BYC that some people tame their babies by sitting with them, to the point that the chicks will climb on them, etc. But at a certain age it seems the chicks can kind of outgrow that and become more stand-offish for a while. They may or may not come back to the friendliness. My feeling is, if you want to try to bond with your chicks, do it and enjoy it while it lasts. Remember that they are essentially prey animals and you may or may not be able to overcome that, but some do, so it's probably worth a try. The bottom line to me is, you got into chickens to enjoy them, so ... do that. Love them and enjoy them.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

I have read here on BYC that some people tame their babies by sitting with them, to the point that the chicks will climb on them, etc. But at a certain age it seems the chicks can kind of outgrow that and become more stand-offish for a while. They may or may not come back to the friendliness. My feeling is, if you want to try to bond with your chicks, do it and enjoy it while it lasts. Remember that they are essentially prey animals and you may or may not be able to overcome that, but some do, so it's probably worth a try. The bottom line to me is, you got into chickens to enjoy them, so ... do that. Love them and enjoy them.

I couldn't love those words more! That is such a great philosophy to take with any hobby, project or pet. We do the best we can and we will always make mistakes along the way (and hopefully learn from them) but the second priority (second only to proper care) should always be "ENJOY".

Never ever thought of chickens as predators, but I guess I'll be seeing that for myself during this journey - my latest learning experience(s) in life!
Sue

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I have read here on BYC that some people tame their babies by sitting with them, to the point that the chicks will climb on them, etc. But at a certain age it seems the chicks can kind of outgrow that and become more stand-offish for a while. They may or may not come back to the friendliness. My feeling is, if you want to try to bond with your chicks, do it and enjoy it while it lasts. Remember that they are essentially prey animals and you may or may not be able to overcome that, but some do, so it's probably worth a try. The bottom line to me is, you got into chickens to enjoy them, so ... do that. Love them and enjoy them.

My chicks never grew out of cuddling!

I couldn't love those words more! That is such a great philosophy to take with any hobby, project or pet. We do the best we can and we will always make mistakes along the way (and hopefully learn from them) but the second priority (second only to proper care) should always be "ENJOY".

Never ever thought of chickens as predators, but I guess I'll be seeing that for myself during this journey - my latest learning experience(s) in life!
Sue

i sit with my chicks and just spend time with them. All my chickens are lap chickens some could sleep on my lap forever some only hop on once in awhile. It makes picking them up so much easier!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Never ever thought of chickens as predators,

Sorry, think I did not make myself clear. They are generally the TARGET of predators, not predators thrmselves. This is what I meant to convey when I said they are "PREY" animals. Other animsls prey upon THEM. Because after all, they taste like ... chicken! They only sense in which they could be considered "predators" is, they eat bugs. And sometimes mice and small frogs. But they are not predators in the way that raccoons and coyotes are. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Me again, still worrying about alienating my chicks! I have taken them outside to run around their 10'x 10' run for a few hours each day and to get accustomed to the sights, sounds, smells, and temp of their soon-to-be permanent home. Catching them in their brooder in the spare bedroom isn't so bad (I then put all 8 in a TALL bucket to safely get them outside) but they are getting more and more difficult to catch when it's time to bring them back inside. Wow, these ladies are FAST! And of course their favorite spot to avoid me is under their coop where I have to get on my knees and then of course they bolt out of there. I'm sure it's a comical site if anyone is watching me round up my latest pets!

Today I tried using a pond net, and it was a little easier to catch all 8, but I am so paranoid about causing the chicks to hate me and want stay as far from me as possible. I fantasize about the day when I can go sit in their run (like I do now) and some of them actually come towards me instead of away from me. They are almost a month old so maybe I'm expecting too much from such young chicks and perhaps it takes time for them to figure out I am their friend, not foe.

I was telling my husband about my fear that catching them with a net will cause them to hate me and he reminded me that it may be better to have them hating the net rather than hating my hands that chase and grab them. I guess he has a point? All of my other pets are such sweet, loving, velcro cuddlers and I want the chicks to be, too.
Sue

 

[AinaWGSD]

Have you tried handfeeding? When my chicks were still in the brooder I would sit next to the brooder and hang my hand in with a handful of chick starter. Doing that will help them associate hands with good things. It can take a little while for them to be brave enough to approach the first couple of times and movement can still scatter them, but it does help to get them to develop a positive association.

Once we moved them out to the coop I would sit in the coop and offer their regular food from my hand. At 7 weeks old they still run from me when I try to pick them up (we'll, most of them, one doesn't really seem to mind but she's a bit of weirdo) but they will come and sit by me if I sit still for a few minutes. The last few weeks they have even started hopping up on me.