I am new to this, had aracaunas (6) two days. When to start to handle so that they are friendly? I have them at my retail shop and I'm having a chicken naqming contest. Very Fun. Want them to get used to me, looking for advice.
Like I pick them up in my hand one at a time and hold them still in hand? Pet them? Talk as well? What happens when they start to flutter? Put down or hold gentlY I know I sound stupid, bu this is ver4y new to me. Thanks.
Molly, I handled my chicks often when they were young. I wanted to make them more docile. But they screamed bloody murder each and every time I held them. Very disconcerting! So I just decided that they would turn out however the were going to turn out. They are two years old now and are friendly on their own terms. And the breed I chose was supposed to be "friendly and docile"...
Yep, hold 'em now! In about a week you can start giving some small treats and they'll warm up to you very quickly. If they start flapping their wings you can either keep holding them or put them down - whatever seems most comfortable to you. They seem to not like their wings pet, but most like their necks scratched. Talk, sing, whatever!
Hold them as much as you can. I hatched 6 chicks myself and had them in the house for a few month. We played with them, held them, pet them and now they run to me when I pull into the drive way and they let me pick them up. I had two of those girls (Who went broodie) hatch 6 eggs, well those six, I cannot get within 2 feet of them, they take off running. That being said, hold them all the time.
ours are a week old and we handle them several times a day when we do "butt patrol" (check for pasty butts) and I am finding that they aren't as loud when we hold them close and talk softly. There are ones that are more friendly then others but we just keep picking them. Most of them just stand there now when they see the "big hand" coming for them. Good luck!
Oh and I wanted some of those Buff Hooligans but got Barred Rocks instead. I handled my chicks quite a bit when they were younger (now 6 weeks old) as I transferred them to a different box to clean it daily. Spoke to them etc. The one chick I think was just a nervous chick as she would splatty poop after being held! They are still friendly but fuss a bit when picked up and then quieten down again. I started feeding them tiny amount of lettuce when they were two weeks old so that they would learn to eat out of my hand. I would love to have two more chickens, I would get 2 Buff Orfingtons, but I don't have the space and no possiblity to expand. Good luck and enjoy your chicks.
