Chicks are super cute and fuzzy and brand new and everybody loves them…and then they grow up to be actual chickens who peck and squawk and poop everywhere all the time. Who knew, right?!
So, how do you get those cute, cuddly chicks to stay semi-cute and lovable once they’re grown and look like weird dinosaur birds? Well, we do it by handling them lots, hand feeding them and giving them the opportunity to hear all kinds of regular human-type noises.
Handling includes (but is not limited to) holding them in your hands a lot. Yep, it’s that simple. Play with their feet and their little wings, pet their heads and backs. Let them get used to you, to trust you. Let them learn that every time you touch them, it is not your intention to hurt them.
Hand feeding – Again, this is about trust. It is much easier to do this while they’re little…while their little beaks are…well…little and it doesn’t hurt when they peck at your hand.
Lots of noise – everyday noises, dogs barks, sneezes, cars and sirens, music, the TV, talking…regular ol’ noise.
The goal is to grow laying hens that are comfortable around us and maybe even like us a little. Our chickens (the grown Ladies), love to run to us to see what we’re bringing them for breakfast, lunch or dinner each day. They follow us around, talk to us and don’t freak out if we sneeze, there are sirens right on the other side of the wall or if the dogs bark.
Now, we were really good at this with our first 5 Ladies two years ago and they are awesome. We were not so good at this last year with the newest 2 Ladies and it shows. They’re not necessarily “freaky”, but they are definitely more fearful of us big humans.
Our newest Newbies? These 9 cuties…are getting all kinds of special holding and loving and…well…training. It helps that it’s a little fun for us, too 🙂
How do you handle your chicks? Do you do anything special for them?
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LOL!! I’ve been enjoying your blog since I discovered it via a comment on “Dish n That” (one of my very favorites!). We’re doing the urban garden thing too and are planning on adding chickens to our menagerie this spring. Looking forward to having our own “fresh from the garden” eggs, and especially loved this post about how to train the chicks!
Thanks so much for finding me! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying our little journey! I look forward to catching up on what you’ve been up to! You are going to LOVE having chickens!!!
Handling chicks when they are tiny is important but it must continue as they grow up. We start with our chicks in the house, holding them, talking to them, hand feeding them. Then as they get a little bigger we hand transport them into their ” grown-up” mobile house but every evening we hand transport them back into a large dog kennel with a perch just inches off the floor. We keep the kennel close to our dining window so they still see and hear us . During the day I go in and sit on the ground, pick them up, handle them all, call them each by name, hand feed them, bring them in the house for visits. There will always be some who are a little aloof, but the ones who walk into the house with you and love to sit on our laps, get their heads stroked and nuzzle under our arms . . . They are such treasures!
I completely agree! I just love hanging out with all our chickens in the yard! Sometimes we even take a chair and sit in their run with them 🙂 Thank you for sharing your experiences! I love hearing about how other people handle their chickens! So cool!!!
When ours were little I would take them out on my gardening adventures. If I was inspecting things I kept a chick with me, if I was planting or harvesting, a chick was scratching and pecking the ground around the area I was at. Bugs were the yummy treat and I used to love how they would get a worm and run in circles as if to taunt the others and say “I got one! I got one…YOU can’t have it!” LOL
Our ducks never got used to us picking them up. They are very freaked out over everything…a true neurotic lot. Chickens are much more laid back and friendly. 🙂
Haha! Don’t you love it when they run around in circles with their worms and bugs! They just get SO excited!
It seems to be a lot of work with those darling hens, right? Have a great Valentines day!
It is lots of work, but it’s so worth it! Hope you had a great Valentines’ day, too, Charlotta!
When I was growing up we had one hen that would sit in our laps and let her stroke her for ages. We called her Darling One and she was lovely. Mum was convinced that she had something wrong with her and that was why she was docile but perhaps we just played with her more than the others as a chick.
What a great memory! You loved her well and she loved you back! Wonderful!