Taming the little chickies

[hollophil]

Ok, my chicks are 2 weeks old today (although one seems a bit older and more developed). I have handled them every day before and after work, taken them out to the sunshine for brief periods, given them meal worms, sang and packed them around a bit but they are getting faster and faster at avoiding "the evil hand" coming into the brooder to pick them up. Any expert chicken tamers out there have advice for a newby?

I am thoroughly enjoying watching them grow even through this "gawky" teenage stage; part feather part fluff. Cracks me up!

 

[chels23]

Mine didn't like me at first either. It wasn't until they were older and started to eat scratch that they actually liked me. Now they follow me all over the backyard. Just be patient and keep spending time with them, they'll come around and love you. Even if it is just for food!

 

[gritsar]

It just takes time and patience. Spend time with them when you can. Get down on their level. They don't like things (people) hovering over them.
They go thru stages too. Some days you are the devil incarnate to them, others you are their new best friend.
My chickens will be a year old tomorrow. They are all friendly, but some of them don't like to be held or petted. Others crave it. I respect that.

 

[artsyrobin]

I have found sitting on the floor with them and just let them wander all over you, they don't feel threatened that way...

 

[jenni2142]

i had an ill chick that needed moistened food with a little applesauce in it that I put on a paper plate for all to eat. now I just call chick chick, like for my big girls and give them the plate of moistened food w/o the applesauce as it is no longer needed and they have learned that the hand is good. only took about a week and now they rarely run. Now when I put in my hand I have a few that will actually run into it looking for the goodies. 1/2 are 2 weeks old and the other 1 week. I also have them next to me so I can just talk to them and enjoy the peeping. Mine like to be told how gorgeous they are. They grow up so fast.

 

[fzouk]

Yes- Mine are coming around to me and it's so much more fun now! They don't like me picking them up but after the initial flapping they're OK with it as long as I don't enclose them in my hands. They don't like that but if I just let them perch they're much happier. I'm new too though! Mine are 2 and a half weeks now. I feed them by hand everyday -sometimes a little yogurt and sometimes just their regular crumbles but now they RUN when I come to the brooder and are all over my hands too- it's GREAT!! I love my little chickies!!

 

[fairladi_chick]

its also a great idea to have a bowl of chick food & hand feed them, it will take a few times of putting the food in their faces before they try to take some from your hand,, but make sure you do it everyday,, it also feels phunny when they peck at your hand to get the food,, ours like to peck at my red painted finger nails too but found out they cant eat that lol. the more you hand feed them the more they will expect it,, and they will come to you without you callin them.

 

[Judy]

I let them eat treats from my hand. Some are much more hesitant to do this than others. I recently got a year old hen to start doing this.

 

[firedove]

Aside from treat bribes, I do have a tip about picking them up. Instead of reaching in and grabbing them from above put your hand in to the floor and scoop them from below. Mine were much more comfortable with that than me grabbing them like a hawk or other predator would. Some would hop off my hand as soon as I had them scooped, but most would then perch on my hand and sit comfortably with no squawking or struggling involved. Not to say that I never grabbed them. If I was in a hurry and just had to move them from one place to the next I would just grab them up, but there was always a lot more chick drama involved that way.

 

[jcamardo]

Thanks for the tip of how to pick up baby chicks...."from below instead of from above" It made sense to me and when I tried it it works so much better! ahhhhhhh simple solutions.