Should I handle baby chicks?

[SueAndHerZoo]

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.

No, I haven't hand fed....the pen they are in is somewhat tall so sitting next to it and hand-feeding wouldn't be comfortable... I can try doing it while bending over but my back will only hold out for so long. Maybe I'll set a chair next to it. It's the rounding them up to bring them back in the house where I think I am losing their trust. The person who feeds, water and cleans up after them is all of a sudden a wild woman chasing them around their run and grabbing them.
Sue

 

[rosemarythyme]

No, I haven't hand fed....the pen they are in is somewhat tall so sitting next to it and hand-feeding wouldn't be comfortable...

1) Block off the area under the coop so you're not crawling around down there to catch them
2) I'm a little confused as to why a taller pen could make it uncomfortable to sit next to - just sit in it?

Even my most skittish chicks will approach when I hold my hand out, because hand = food. Doesn't mean they like being touched but they'll tolerate a quick pat for a mealworm or two.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

No, I haven't hand fed....the pen they are in is somewhat tall so sitting next to it and hand-feeding wouldn't be comfortable... I can try doing it while bending over but my back will only hold out for so long. Maybe I'll set a chair next to it. It's the rounding them up to bring them back in the house where I think I am losing their trust. The person who feeds, water and cleans up after them is all of a sudden a wild woman chasing them around their run and grabbing them.
Sue

How do you pick them up? I’m sorry you’re so stressed! I also was worried about my chicks hating me when I first got them!

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

1) Block off the area under the coop so you're not crawling around down there to catch them
2) I'm a little confused as to why a taller pen could make it uncomfortable to sit next to - just sit in it?

Even my most skittish chicks will approach when I hold my hand out, because hand = food. Doesn't mean they like being touched but they'll tolerate a quick pat for a mealworm or two.

Good idea to block off the under-coop area.... I'll rig something up. But that's the area where my 3 curious dogs can bother the chicks the least so I like that the chicks have a place to hide when they feel they need a break from sniffing, barking dogs outside the pen.

I guess I could sit in the pen, but it would mean moving all their food containers, water dispensers, brooder heater (which they probably don't need anymore) perching toys, etc. Not to mention the pee pads that are always "poopified" regardless of how often I change them.

If this dangerous heat wave ever breaks I will be able to spend a lot more time sitting with them in the outdoor run and hand-feeding, handling, etc. It's been dangerously hot outside so the visits have been short. And having 3 dogs also complicates any calm, chicken-training sessions. Most of the time is focused on training my dogs to be calm around them and learn that they are pets, not prey.
Sue

 

[AinaWGSD]

I use a flattened cardboard box when I'm sitting with my chicks in the coop. Then when I'm done I pick it up and take it out so it doesn't get poopy. I also usually leave my dogs in the house when I go visit the chicks because I want to spend time with them rather than focus on the dogs (I plan to work more with the dogs once I have the secure run built but for now it's not worth the risk with just flimsy chicken wire containing the chickens). Maybe having separate times/visits to focus on socializing the chicks and training the dogs would help?

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

I use a flattened cardboard box when I'm sitting with my chicks in the coop. Then when I'm done I pick it up and take it out so it doesn't get poopy. I also usually leave my dogs in the house when I go visit the chicks because I want to spend time with them rather than focus on the dogs (I plan to work more with the dogs once I have the secure run built but for now it's not worth the risk with just flimsy chicken wire containing the chickens). Maybe having separate times/visits to focus on socializing the chicks and training the dogs would help?

I agree, it's finding the right balance of working with just the chicks versus working with the dogs to be around the chicks. These things always eventually work themselves out but in the meantime I stress over it. Hard enough making sure all 3 dogs get my equal attention, and then add the other pets that all need caring for, in addition to being at our local animal shelter 5 days a week. Need more hours in a day!
Sue

 

[rosemarythyme]

Good idea to block off the under-coop area.... I'll rig something up. But that's the area where my 3 curious dogs can bother the chicks the least so I like that the chicks have a place to hide when they feel they need a break from sniffing, barking dogs outside the pen.

I guess I could sit in the pen, but it would mean moving all their food containers, water dispensers, brooder heater (which they probably don't need anymore) perching toys, etc. Not to mention the pee pads that are always "poopified" regardless of how often I change them.

If this dangerous heat wave ever breaks I will be able to spend a lot more time sitting with them in the outdoor run and hand-feeding, handling, etc. It's been dangerously hot outside so the visits have been short. And having 3 dogs also complicates any calm, chicken-training sessions. Most of the time is focused on training my dogs to be calm around them and learn that they are pets, not prey.
Sue

Maybe make something to block off the undercoop area that's easy to move (like a few pieces of cardboard held in place with bricks) and block it off towards the end of the day, just to avoid that hassle when you want to round them up.

If the pen is outside there's no reason to have pee pads down... really the chicks would benefit greatly from having grass or dirt under their feet, and it would help absorb poops for the time being.

If there's a heat wave right now, 100% they're not using the heat plate so unless these are like under 1 week old there's no reason to leave a heat plate even at night.

The chicks will get used to the dogs even if the dogs are being barky, as long as they can't break in. I also have 3 dogs and the chickens quickly learn which dog is easiest to tolerate (they all stand by the fence and stare at each other) and which one to run from.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Hi again, thanks for the comments and suggestions. The pee pads and brooder heater are in the inside pen.... the outside run is 10' x 10' feet with plenty of grass and dirt. I did pack away the heater yesterday, till next time.

 

[Sic]

The chicks actually don't know that you're the one that feeds them if you have food always available, you're just an intruder. I'll just tell you what I do, and you can take from this what you want.
From day one of arrival, whether that's hatch day, or whatever the case may be, I wear the same jacket whenever I interact with chicks (a brightly colored obnoxious green-orange-blue-purple-black) and a red knit cap. They learn to recognize that I am the king chicken. I use a whistle. I use only three different sounds, one is a soft whistle to let them know i'm close by, one is single high pitch meaning feeding time, one is screeching loud three times, means come here now, that's the urgent Armageddon whistle - predator alert. I start chicks off learning the feeding time whistle when I bring them live amphipods, any live small bugs will do though, handfeed the ones willing, and show with finger tapping where to find the bugs for those not yet ready. By 48 hours old, chicks have amazing visual acuity, and can detect the smallest of movements. It takes no more than a few days to have all the chicks sitting in my hand and eating from my hand and I'd say amphipods are the favorite meal around here, ducks love them, chickens love them. Hand feeding is the easiest way to train any animal. Live food is better, it just is. From week one, a minimum of once per day, I sit with them in Fort Nugget - the enclosed run, in an enclosed pen, essentially a modified puppy playpen, or pet exercise pen inside my run, as they don't need access to the whole run, you could also do this indoors, I do this indoors as well because it helps me train my dogs that all poultry belongs to me, mine...mine...leave it. From week two, I take about 4 at a time and put them in, well i actually don't know what i'd call it, but it's similar to a baby carrying pouch/pack. I made it when I had hatched a single duckling that imprinted on me, so I had to carry her around everywhere with me. It has a mesh screen so they can see as they are being carried around outside while i get things done, usually out harvesting something, it helps to get them used to being picked up and carried, becomes second nature, enforces my ownership of them with all the other animals, everyone understands they're mine. Predators are all too common here, we live on a remote island, and free range here is free range so it's important to train my animals to know when predators are about. The bald eagles make this easier to train because they are vocal when they are here. My dogs respond to the predator whistle by barking and looking for vermin (or barking and clamoring for the door if they're indoors) and the poultry come flying back to their run, because if they don't, they'll surely die. If not trained to return to their run when a predator comes, they will instinctually run willy nilly in a panic, and a single animal will become a target of a predator. I don't train my poultry to be friends, I train them so they will live. My land, my rules. Hope you find something in here helpful.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

The chicks actually don't know that you're the one that feeds them if you have food always available, you're just an intruder. I'll just tell you what I do, and you can take from this what you want.
From day one of arrival, whether that's hatch day, or whatever the case may be, I wear the same jacket whenever I interact with chicks (a brightly colored obnoxious green-orange-blue-purple-black) and a red knit cap. They learn to recognize that I am the king chicken. I use a whistle. I use only three different sounds, one is a soft whistle to let them know i'm close by, one is single high pitch meaning feeding time, one is screeching loud three times, means come here now, that's the urgent Armageddon whistle - predator alert. I start chicks off learning the feeding time whistle when I bring them live amphipods, any live small bugs will do though, handfeed the ones willing, and show with finger tapping where to find the bugs for those not yet ready. By 48 hours old, chicks have amazing visual acuity, and can detect the smallest of movements. It takes no more than a few days to have all the chicks sitting in my hand and eating from my hand and I'd say amphipods are the favorite meal around here, ducks love them, chickens love them. Hand feeding is the easiest way to train any animal. Live food is better, it just is. From week one, a minimum of once per day, I sit with them in Fort Nugget - the enclosed run, in an enclosed pen, essentially a modified puppy playpen, or pet exercise pen inside my run, as they don't need access to the whole run, you could also do this indoors, I do this indoors as well because it helps me train my dogs that all poultry belongs to me, mine...mine...leave it. From week two, I take about 4 at a time and put them in, well i actually don't know what i'd call it, but it's similar to a baby carrying pouch/pack. I made it when I had hatched a single duckling that imprinted on me, so I had to carry her around everywhere with me. It has a mesh screen so they can see as they are being carried around outside while i get things done, usually out harvesting something, it helps to get them used to being picked up and carried, becomes second nature, enforces my ownership of them with all the other animals, everyone understands they're mine. Predators are all too common here, we live on a remote island, and free range here is free range so it's important to train my animals to know when predators are about. The bald eagles make this easier to train because they are vocal when they are here. My dogs respond to the predator whistle by barking and looking for vermin (or barking and clamoring for the door if they're indoors) and the poultry come flying back to their run, because if they don't, they'll surely die. If not trained to return to their run when a predator comes, they will instinctually run willy nilly in a panic, and a single animal will become a target of a predator. I don't train my poultry to be friends, I train them so they will live. My land, my rules. Hope you find something in here helpful.

Wow, those chicks and ducks are very lucky to have you! Sounds like you put a lot of time, effort and love into your pets and I'm sure you're reaping the rewards! definitely some tips in there that I might incorporate into my routines - thank you!
Sue