Socializing chicks

[BzKneez]

It's been awhile since I've raised chickens from baby chicks. I'd like for the chickens to be friendly and used to being around people. My older hens are very friendly. The chicks are 3 weeks old and I have them housed in a large cage in my guest bathroom right now. I also have two dogs and two cats so I put the cage in the bathroom because it's easy to isolate and easy to keep warm. My dogs have already been in the bathroom to check them out. The cats don't seem to care. My dogs and outdoor cat hang out with the hens. I try to interact with the chicks a few times a day but all but one seems afraid of me.

Questions: 1) is this normal at this age? or will they become more comfortable with time? 2) if I want them to not be afraid of people, should I handle them more or less at this age? 3) since they're pretty isolated in the bathroom, should I put them in my office where they would see me more? Or will this just frighten them more? The chicks already react when they hear the dogs barking so I don't want to move them if being where more action is that it will scare them more.

Additionally, how long do they need electrolytes in their water? They all seem happy and healthy.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I think that if you handle them a lot when they’re chicklets, they’re easier to handle as adults. As long as you’re gentle and keep your hands clean, they’ll get used to you. If you have the space, take them out while you’re sitting on the floor and let them crawl up on you. Hand feed them, talk and sing to them, play music for them, whatever - as long as you spend time with them and make it fun (for you and them), everybody’s happy!

If it were me, I’d move them into the office, so they see and hear the household noise. Mine stayed in the basement in the quiet so don’t like anyone or anything other than my husband or I to come anywhere near them. (Which is fine since we are pros at “social distancing.”) They’ll get used to the background noise quickly.

How many do you have? And how do you plan to integrate them into your flock? Post some pics if you can, we all love baby pics!

 

[ChickensAreFantastic]

Question 1 answers: I have had raised chicks for about 2 years now, and all my chicks have been a little bit shy at that age. So it's normal for them to be a little bit scared.

Imagine yourself 3 weeks after hatching, still don't know about the world you were born into, and a giant picking you up and cuddling you. I would be a little bit scared wouldn't you?

Question 2 answers: The best way to socialize is to just keep holding them.

Question 3 answers: It depends, if the bathroom is small, you might want to put them in a larger area. Also, do you keep the lights on in there? I think it's best to keep the lights on if you haven't already.

Now I hold my chick whenever I have time. I suggest you do the same. That's what I do.


From:
ChickensAreFantastic!

BTW, I wish you luck on your new chicks

 

[rosemarythyme]

They're afraid because they're still little and you're a giant human, and if you have a typical home brooder you probably have to reach in from the top to pick them up, which feels like a predator to them. I'd keep handling them regularly, and it possible, change the brooder to open from the side instead (obviously not possible if you're using a tote or the bathtub, etc).

You can stop with the electrolytes if you've already been giving it to them for a few weeks, they're not intended for prolonged use.

 

[BzKneez]

Thanks to all of you for all of your help. Here are a few pix of my little pecker heads. (And I call them that affectionately.)

 

[BzKneez]

They probably need to be a bit older if you want to move them in with your older birds. I’ve had hens kill birds that were too young. They should get friendlier the more you handle them. Good luck!
@casportpony

Thank you. I'm not planning to move them in with the larger birds yet. I was asking whether I should move them into my office where they would be around me more and vice versa. The downside is that they will also be more exposed to the rest of the household such as dogs barking, phones ringing, music, etc. I am wondering whether its best to leave them in their quiet, secluded nest in the bathroom or move them out to where more of the house hold action is.

 

[BzKneez]

They're afraid because they're still little and you're a giant human, and if you have a typical home brooder you probably have to reach in from the top to pick them up, which feels like a predator to them. I'd keep handling them regularly, and it possible, change the brooder to open from the side instead (obviously not possible if you're using a tote or the bathtub, etc).

You can stop with the electrolytes if you've already been giving it to them for a few weeks, they're not intended for prolonged use.

Thank you. I have six chicks so I them in a large rabbit cage so that I am reaching in from the side. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. They don't like the sound of the cage doors though. I can tell that frightens them but there's nothing I can do about that. Do you think I should leave them in the quiet, secluded bathroom though? Or would it be better if they're in my office but more exposed to the rest of the household noises. My concern is that I'm not sure if that will make them more flighty or if it would be helpful to get them used to all of us more quickly. There's just me my husband and the dogs. I dont intend to let the cats stalk them. However, that will be more difficult if their in my office. Cats can't get near them in the bathroom. I have the cage raised about 3.5 feet off the ground. Dogs can't see inside cage but chicks can see dogs if they get up on their roosting bar.

 

[chickens really]

I definitely get mine accustomed to all sounds. If weather is good get them outside to become chickens during the day. They only learn what they are exposed too.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think either the bathroom (quiet) or office (busy) would be fine - but I'd opt for the bathroom. I worry less over whether their little panicky selves can take the noise in the office, and more about the dander they're going to be spreading all over your office area.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Unfortunately, I don't have the time to try to hold all six of them several times a day so I've just been rotating.

The bathroom is relatively small. I've been leaving their heat lamp on 24/7 and reducing the temp by 5 degrees each week. They seem to be comfortable with their temp. There's a window in the bathroom so when it's sunny, I just leave the blind open. I leave the bath light on sometimes but not all day. I figured the regular day light was enough. Is that incorrect? Should I give them more light? I also read somewhere that perhaps I don't need to l leave the heat lamp on 24/7 anymore. How and when do I wean them off of that?

If you want to socialize them without being so hands on, maybe you could make a part time enclosure in your office, and bring them over for a couple hours a day, so they just get used to you existing around them. Unless you want them to be super pet-like even handling them twice a day should be enough to get them used to you so they grow up to be easy to handle adults.

As far as light, I would say it's nice to have the bath light on for any days that's too gloomy/overcast, otherwise the natural light is fine.

At 3 weeks they should still have heat available around the clock but they're pretty close to coming off of it, assuming you don't have issues keeping stable temperatures in the house. Reducing the heat (which you're already doing) is how you wean them off heat.