Socializing baby chicks

[plot_thickens]

Howdy!

We're looking to get our first set of chooks this Springish, depending on when we find a house with a decent yard. It will be in a urban area that surprisingly has huge lots (1/3 of an acre) in the temperate East Bay Area. We'll be introducing the neighbors to the fun of chickens so they won't make trouble for us. For this, we need fluffy pretty cute baby chicks who like people.

How do you socialize your chicks and chickens?

 

[Msbear]

With no momma hen, the newly hatched chicks will look to you for comfort, support, advice etc

They will rely a lot on eachother as well. But, they will have no natural fear of humans unless they are taught to. Hold them and call them , "chuk chuk chuk" when you feed them. This announces meal time like momma would. I point my finger in the water and raise it like a beak would drink. This will show them it's time to drink. You don't need to do all of these things but the more interaction you have with them, the more socialized they will become.

Make sure to post pics of the new babies when you get them and...

 

[plot_thickens]

Thank you, MSbear, that was quite helpful. Are there any other chicken behaviours we should mimic? And will imprinting work on both of the adults in the house or just the first the chick sees?

 

[Msbear]

Everyone who handles them will be apart of their family.

I didn't hand-raise my chickens but they still see me as part of the flock. I care for them, handle them often and talk to them while Im handling them. The roos crowd me like Im one of the hens and they follow me around the yard. When I take a seat, some of them (you'll have more affectionate ones) hop up for a pet.

 

[onthespot]

I think overhandling makes for future mean roosters. I have tried both ways, and honestly, there is a flighty juvenile stage and it doesn't seem to matter if you tame them before or after, the easy going ones will grow up easy going, the flighty ones you can tame down at a couple three months old, without creating future rooster turkeys.

 

[plot_thickens]

If that's just the roosters and not the hens, then we don't need to worry because we can't have roosters.

It'll be a cloister! Whoo, religiosity!

 

[silkiechicken]

Another note on handling, reach under, not over, as reaching over their heads will set of instintual alarms of bird of prey going to get them.

 

[plot_thickens]

Yes! Great! I had no idea! Please keep em coming!