Should I handle my Birds everyday?

[mysweetgypsy]

I pet mine whether they like it or not! Most have gotten used to it, and some of the hens seem to look forward to it now. I have one EE that won't leave me alone until I've ruffled all her feathers, she is a "special" hen. We handled her a ton because of her severely deformed beak. For what it's worth I say pet them like crazy

 

[gabe4223]

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My EE is the same way. I know, she is not a true Ameruacana. But i just think thats interesting she will have nothing to do with me , just like yours

 

[cmom]

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Handling your birds depends on if you want to raise them as pets or livestock. My birds are livestock. I do handle some of the birds but not all, but I have well over 100 birds.

 

[turbodog]

My group of EE chicks were fairly calm about any activity in their brooder (moving the feeder/waterer to refill, etc) and while they might go over to one side and start active peeping, they were fairly calm.
We didn't really pick them up and hold them much but now that they are out in the coop, I make a point of trying to pet them while giving treats. They don't really like it and some will just jump away when I reach for them, but they are so greedy they'll usually let me stroke them a bit while they gobble down a treat.

My batch of BCM's on the other hand, go into a screaming, thrashing panic whenever I reach into the brooder, or even stand over it!

Totally different personalities. I make a point of taking the one I think will be a roo out each evening to sit on the couch with me but of the others, I can't tell one from another. They're all black and look the same and the way they go into a panic, if I pick one out to hold, when I put it back and they all go running about at once, I don't know if I'm catching another one or the same one twice. It's like playing Three Card Monte! So, I usually just stick with the one I recognize and the rest get left alone to calm down on their own.

I don't even know if picking up the one is doing much good as he still goes into the same panic as the rest when I reach in.

 

[nlbeardmore]

You can handle them as much as you want, however without a mother hen they can get quite 'needy'. i dont tend to handle mine and when they become friendly as soon as they realise who brings their food!