Tips on making chickies more friendly and holdable

[Bandana]

I haven't raised chickens for a while, but I will again, soon. When I had my small, mixed, flock several years ago, I made a point to handle them quite a bit while they were still babies. Then, as they grew older, I found it much easier to pick them up at night after they had roosted. If I did that every once in a while, they stayed tame. They are at their most vulnerable at night. If you pick them up then, and are gentle and loving with them, they will remember that for a while.

 

[Crest Acres Girl]

This is my personal experiance!!

theres a few things I do to make my chickies more holdable and friendly ( all my girls love being petted and held) when they are super young, I basically Just take one and walk over to the living room and have it stand on my hand and have my other hand over it, like how a mommy hen would put her chickies under her wing. most of the time the babies would just fall asleep

its the cutest thing!!I lightly stroke it and talk to it (might want to have tissue close by..chickies are poop machines!! When they poop it sounds like an espresso machine...and its all foamy too

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For the chickies thats slightly older it takes them more time to get used to you if you didnt handle them enough when they were young. Basically by that time they are all in the coop. I dont keep a steady supply of food in there since at night time I'm afraid of rats that might get to the chicken food. I just refill their feeder in the morn. In the morning I go in with a handful of food and just sit on the floor and put my hand down. At first they are a bit shy but after while they will come rushing when they see your feet walk through the coop

very slowly I grab one, ( might have to chase them a bit at first BUT DO IT SLOW) and hold it near my body, they kick a bit but calm down soon after. For the stubborn ones I turn them on their backs, (might have to hold them down a bit too) They just lay on there back staring at me. After walkin around with one. I give them more food while they're in my hand and then Slowly put them back down..if they struggle while i'm putting them down I hold them near my body again until their calm. Works everytime for me

Hope it works for you!!

 

[orcasislandchickens]

Mine are all tame, I agree with pretty much everything everyone has said.
Handle them (very gently- chicks are fragile) a lot as youngsters. Pay no attention to initial peeps of resenment they get over it fast.

Mostly my older ones do not like to be petted, but love to be gently scratched especially under the chin and on the back of the neck like they would preen each other. They beg to be held but mostly like to "roost " on my arms or knees if I am sitting.

Birds have birdbrains and forget you in a heartbeat. You have to continue to interact with them to keep them tame. It doesn't have to be much , but at least a few minutes several times a day. I remove the feed and water and lockup at night, visit and talk a few minutes, replace the food and water in the morning, and watch to see everyone gets a share. I also let them out to range for a while late afternoons and usually spend some of this time in the garden with them. I think without the continual extra handling they would be freindly and calm, but not walk over and jump up on your hand on command tame like they are now.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is reasonable to expect to have a few tame/pet chickens but not reasonable to be loved by a large group. If you have 15 hens or something aim for a calm freindly group, and make special pets of the one or two that seek out your affection.

Handfeeding like all bribery has it's uses and limitations, when I have done a lot of it I have found I get pecked more. Now I use the hold and carry method more often. I use the call to feed to get them to come running in at dusk.

 

[MagsC]

We spend a lot of time with our chicks, even so, some turn out more friendly than others.
I dont hand feed for the pecking reason, but I do toss them treats.