Should I handle baby chicks?

[SueAndHerZoo]

I purchased 8 chicks from TSC 16 days ago - I'm guessing they were probably 3 days old at the time? They've been in my spare bedroom since then and I visit them several times a day to freshen their water, add more feed, clean their bedding, etc. I'm thinking in a few weeks they can go outside into their coop (that I'm still working on) but wondering how much I should be trying to get them comfortable with me. They know I'm the one who feeds them but the few times I've reached down to pick one up, of course they freak and scatter. Should I wait to do this socializing until I can sit with them out in their run or should I be working on handling them more while they are still indoors? I don't want them to start fearing or hating me as the person who forcefully picks them up and confines them, but I want them to be happy to have me around them when they move outdoors. Advice, please?
Sue

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Congrats on becoming a new "chicken tender!" You need to pick your babies up at least once a day to take a peek under their tails to check for pasty butt. Yep, that's a thing. Poop can get stuck in their vent, creating a blockage, preventing any poop from getting out, and can actually result in dead chicks. If you see poop back there, put on your nursing latex or nitrile gloves, take the chick to the bathtoom sink, and turn on a little stream of warmish water. Wet your gloved fingers and go to work GENTLY working that dried poop off. If the chick ends up a bit wet, use your hair dryer on a low setting to blow him dry before putting him back in with the others. And it doesn't hurt to sweet talk them a bit in the process.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Thanks for the reminder. I had read about pasty butt but figured just observing them and looking at their poop in their pen would give me a clue that I needed to examine more closely. I will try picking up each one, but I was afraid that this "big thing" coming at them and swooping them up from above might freak them out as a predator and I didn't want to make them afraid of me. It's also going to be a challenge getting each one because the pen is big enough that I can't reach the other side when I'm standing there and as you know, they are FAST. I'm hoping to gather them all up and take them outside for a short time today to start getting them acclimated to the outdoor sights, smells and sounds, and let them explore grass under their feet. I'm just afraid that I may not be able to round them all up again when it's time to go back in the house without chasing, and again, I don't want them to hate me or fear me.
Sue

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, Don't turn thrm loose outside! I mean unless you have a play pen of some kind you can confine them in. Or you may never get them all back. They can easily outrun you. And I've heard horror stories of people accidentally stomping on one as they"'re chasing them.

Sounds like you need a smaller brooder, too. Can you block part of it off with a cardboard barrier of some kind?

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

No, definitely not turning them loose in my yard - I have 3 dogs! I'm slowly introducing the dogs to the chicks while in the house and now they can get used to them being in their run/coop for an hour or two, with me the entire time. I will be doing some more tweaks to the coop and run so will be out there with them the whole time.
Sue

 

[BigBlueHen53]

sounds good.

 

[World Down Side Up]

Congrats on becoming a new "chicken tender!" You need to pick your babies up at least once a day to take a peek under their tails to check for pasty butt. Yep, that's a thing. Poop can get stuck in their vent, creating a blockage, preventing any poop from getting out, and can actually result in dead chicks. If you see poop back there, put on your nursing latex or nitrile gloves, take the chick to the bathtoom sink, and turn on a little stream of warmish water. Wet your gloved fingers and go to work GENTLY working that dried poop off. If the chick ends up a bit wet, use your hair dryer on a low setting to blow him dry before putting him back in with the others. And it doesn't hurt to sweet talk them a bit in the process.

Good advice!

 

[Ridgerunner]

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.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

When I pick my chicks and chickens up I put one hand behind their legs and gently make them step back onto it by putting my other hand on their chest and pushing gently. Once they are on my hand I’ll circle my hand around the front of their chest or wings if they are a chick if it’s a hen I’ll circle my arm around their wings. If I try to pick them up any other way they let me know they don’t like it! Of course it might just be my chickens!

 

[TexasBlues]

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.