Taming and bonding with chicks

[cwyrick1022]

How do you tame your chicks to not be so scared when being handled?

What has worked best for you?

I feel so bad when I reach in and they all scatter like I'm Godzilla trying to eat them.

Any advice helps.
Mother of 4 silkie chicks.

 

[azygous]

Have you been reaching down from above to handle your chicks? The first step yo handling chicks to create tame, friendly ones is to reach for them from the side, sliding your hand up to their toes until they want to step onto your hand. Try it.

 

[cwyrick1022]

I will definitely try that thank you!

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Spend plenty of time with them. Yes reaching from above to grab them does trigger the aerial predator reaction and they will flee. My wife and I would change into clean clothes and go sit in their brooding tent and talk to them quietly. Before long they would come right up and hop into our lap. They enjoy roosting on legs and shoulders which are great napping spots and it was just so much fun to observe them. Slow movements are better than fast ones. They like shiny things so I would be careful about wearing jewelry if you plan to let them use you as a jungle gym. Best Wishes.

 

[gemma24]

we grab our chicks slowly out of our brooder, and have them sleep in our hands.