Do You Know How To Pick Up A Chicken

The dos and don t’s of picking up a chicken.

Do you really know the best way on how to pick up a chicken?

The proper way I mean.

Let’s talk about it.

How To Pick Up A Chicken The Right Way

I have seen many ways people pick up chickens, hens and roosters alike.

But do I agree with all the ways I have seen?

That is a no.

As a lover of chickens, I feel for my chickens and see them as pets.

And because of this, I feel that they would like to be treated as you would a cherished pet.

But what is the best way of picking up a chicken then…

But first I want to broach one question here, and that is.

Do Chickens Like Being Picked Up?

This is an interesting question and one that needs to be answered.

Because I think that there are some backyard chicken owners who do not really know one way or the other if their chickens actually like being picked up.

While there are some chickens that may not seem like the most affectionate of the bunch of chickens that you have.

Most backyard chickens need to be picked up at one time or the other and do grow accustomed to their owners pick them up.

I say the more the better.

So if you think firstly, there are going to be some chickens that like being picked up more than others.

It does not matter how many times you pick them up, all chickens have different temperaments, and you are going to get some more friendly birds than others.

No different than people, we all have different temperaments.

Picking up a friendly hen or rooster is going to be no problem if they are affectionate, and will delight in you picking them up.

It is a good idea if you do not chase your chickens around the yard to pick them up.

Approach slowly and if they just start to walk away, you have the opportunity of sweeping them off the ground with no trouble as long as you do these movements slowly.

The Chicken Pickup

Now we are not talking bout the chicken pick up line here…

We are actually talking about actually picking up a chicken from the ground or even a perch or whatever they are on at the time.

Fast movements are not going to do you any favours if you want to pick up a chicken.

You see…

Chickens were prey mainly in the wild, and they spent a good deal of time escaping natural predators through their speed and flying ability.

See also The Number of Eggs Your Chicken Can Lay Per Day

So what happens if you do fast movements…

Anybody?

They react to it by avoiding that movement, it is a natural instinctive reaction to avoiding danger.

So if you do this, your chickens are instinctively going to react, thinking that there is an urgency of danger.

You need to get into a chicken psyche…

Some would scoff at this thinking a chicken?

But yes.

All animals have a depth to them and the chicken has its own ways that if you learn, you will be able to understand that they do what they do because of how they are prone to think

And this also applies to different breeds of chickens, some breeds like the lighter breed of chicken have a more flighty nature.

So quick movements from you are not going to do you any favours.

You don’t want to be trying to catch your chicken in the chicken run till the sun goes down, do you?

Picking Up A Chicken As A Pet

I go for the best way to pick up a chicken as one of my pets, my friends.

If your chicken is on the ground, you can slowly approach them, now if they are friendly chickens they will not move far off.

This way you can just bend down slowly and by using both your hand’s cradle your chicken on both sides of their body, without squeezing too hard or not squeezing at all.

If you squeeze too hard, well…

No one likes this and your chicken will not like it from the start, so…

By not squeezing enough, your chicken while being lifted will not feel secure and feel like it may be dropped.

Then you are most probably going to have a squawking and struggling chicken on your hands.

You need to make sure that your chicken knows that you are caring for it as you lift it and that it is secure.

This way your hen or rooster is going to be calm.

I then bring my chickens to my body holding them under their bodies.

I do not put my fingers between their legs to hold them further unless I feel that they could struggle and try to flap.

Chickens get used to you picking them up the more you do it, and if you do the same, thing.

Well…

Familiarity for your chickens keeps them calm.

Another way, if you do have a chicken that does not want to get caught and is lightly to run or dodge you because they just do not want to be picked up.

See also Where to Buy Chickens Online

Is the bribe factor.

Have some treats on hand, and when you put these treats on the ground near you, you then have both hands ready to pick up your chicken.

This I find is the best way to pick up a less tamed chicken.

Their bellies win out.

But there are times when you might have to do some chasing, but if you do, never run.

Just walk calmly and if you can get them into the corner of the chicken run, slowly put your hands out to block the two exits.

And maybe you might be successful in grabbing them.
But again, don’t rush.

I have often found out just how agile these chickens are at dodging and ducking their way out to freedom.

And above all…

Do not get angry with your chickens, it’s not personal.

On way, I have seen chickens held which I do agree with, and you might need to use this if you are out in an unfamiliar area, is to just pick up your chicken as normal.

But instead of holding your chicken face forwards to you when walking.

You place your chicken backwards.

This way they can not be bombarded with up and coming unfamiliar happenings around you at the time.

They see the backwards view moving away from them and this seems to calm them down more than the in your face thing.

Do not hold your chicken away from you when walking around, as keeping them close to you makes them feel protected and secure.

Not hanging out in the middle of nowhere, with your hands and all that sky around them, they will feel vulnerable.

Well…

I hope that my take on how to pick up a chicken is helpful.

Just remember that chickens, when taken out of their comfort zone, are going to look for you as the protector.

And if they do not feel this, then you are going to get a flurry of wings and a squaring, as they are not being happy with the whole situation.

And if they do this struggling if you just hold them too long, they want to be set down.

After all, who knows they might want to do a poo.

Did not think of that, did you…

Yes, sometimes we get caught out.

Or just want freedom once again.