Tote them around like babies. Talk to them. Treat them when they come - like dogs. Getting them off the roost works best because they're sleeping or going to sleep. Remember each chicken is different - think dog breeds. You know labs are just people lovers in general, some bird breeds are the same. My barred rocks, RIRs and new hampshires just love to be held and petted. The partridge rocks and leghorns (airheads) are the most nervous birds. They jump if I touch a feather. Pig, my oldest barred rock, will come running whenever I walk outside - even if she's in the woods!
I haven't held my baby chicks as often as the older group (when they were chicks) due to the recent bout with coccdia and not wanting to spread anything, but they will perch on my shoulder, arms and head when I open the brooder. They're jumpy when I put my hands in, but they will come out to me. I have just talked to them often and they saw me spending time with Splash (while in the chicken hospital).
