How to hold a chicken

[@rainbowconnected]

Thank you for presenting a kinder way to handle and relate to chickens than most do! It saddens me how some people handle and speak to them. Sometimes this way of holding hasn't let me access the area of the chicken I need to tend to, so I constructed a simple sling that holds them in a similar way. It's just a strip of cotton canvas about beak to tail length wide and three feet long. I cut two holes for their feet to go through, much the way your hand supports the body. I can set the chicken in the sling and then draw the long ends of the fabric up to meet about a foot over their back so they aren't squeezed at all by the fabric. Then someone else either holds the top edges of the sling while I work or I use a strong clamp to hold the ends together and hang that from a hook. This lets me work on the feet, beak and tail end very easily. I made mine so the fabric goes a bit past the beak, so they're well supported and they tend to just relax once settled in. This was immensely useful when I had some hens with bumblefoot who needed their feet cleaned and bandaged frequently. I don't think I could have done it while holding them or someone else was holding them.

[@chickensinmygarden]

That sounds excellent! It's often difficult to work on a chicken on your own - both holding them and treating them. I generally manage, as you can see in these two videos, although it can be pretty clumsy at times! kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2nJg6qOepWJo7M kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIGtZamGprOrq6c But a sling would make things much easier! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Lovely to see such a calm girl benefitting from your positive approach to handling. All the best. Mags

[@chickensinmygarden]

Most of my chickens behave like this when handled. I don't believe they really enjoy it but they tolerate me 😄

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you! I did not know I needed this video, but I did. I am not so good at holding chickens, but now I know what to do.

[@chickensinmygarden]

That's great to hear. All the best to you and your chickens 🙂

[@cautiousdissolute5780]

Was surprised Pumpkin seemed so well behaved while you were recording!

[@chickensinmygarden]

She really doesn't like being held but she was good - resigned perhaps,because there was nothing she could do 🙂

[@westtxyo3171]

What a sweet girl. Thank you for your videos. I love your content.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you very much. Have a great day 🙂

[@colleengood6365]

I wish more people knew the proper way to hold a chicken. It's so upsetting when I see someone holding them upside down by their legs!

[@chickensinmygarden]

Oh no! You see that in cartoons but it's pure cruelty!

[@krystaloconnor9855]

It might sound silly but can you also give some advice or a video please about picking a chicken up? How to approach etc the part before the holding 😅

[@chickensinmygarden]

Good question. In fact I planned to do a follow-up to this video about that, but I haven't got around to it yet. There is so much to share about chickens! Ideally, a mature hen will squat for you - that makes it easy. The main thing is to be calm and confident and do it first time. Chasing after chickens is the worst thing you can do. Better to wait until night and just pick them off the perch.

[@krystaloconnor9855]

@@chickensinmygarden Fabulous, thank you for your reply! There's so much to learn. One of the two hens we recently inherited is a little less trusting and runs away from me, but I'm sure she has scaly legs and I'm just trying to help! I'm working on it :) The suggestion to pick them up at night is very handy.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Once you have picked her up you can carry her into the light to work on her legs (I have a recent video about scaly leg mites). But put her back on the perch - she probably won't be able to see well enough to jump up.

[@Overly_nourished_entity]

Pumpkin is so precious

[@chickensinmygarden]

She's a pretty good chicken. She doesn't much like being held but she was the first one to walk past when I was about to start filming 🙂

[@BeautifulLorah]

I love how you talked to her ❤

[@chickensinmygarden]

I do talk to my chickens. Sometimes they even answer 🙂 but it's usually just to ask if I have any mealworms 😀

[@naomi2646]

Hello from Texas!Thank you for your time and help. I love your videos, they help my girls and me.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Good morning from New Zealand! I hope you and your girls have a great day 🙂

[@southwestlivingwithval]

Thank you for sharing this. I am getting some chickens and this is so nice to know. Have a great day.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you. You too. And all the best for when you get your chickens 🙂

[@KostasNasikas]

Many many thanks, from Greece.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you for watching. Have a great day 🙂

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

I was watching and then trying to think of exactly how I hold my chickens and I can't picture it. It has just become second nature. I have one in the chicken spa with a frostbitten foot, when I taker her out to clean out droppings, and apply her coconut oil tomorrow I must try this. A big hello to you and yours. Pumpkin is a beauty. ❤

[@chickensinmygarden]

Oh dear, a frostbitten foot sounds painful. Poor thing!

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

She was wimpering in pain when we found her. Epsom salt soak, vetericyn, and coconut oil daily and her recovery is miraculous. Renewed her leg and foot tissue from black to normal. Just the ends of her toes to go now.

[@chickensinmygarden]

Oh that's so good to hear. Chickens are amazing and so stoic.

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

@@chickensinmygarden Just a report back. She absolutely loved when I held her your way. Definitely something to the legs between the fingers thing. Thank you! Have an amazing day!

[@chickensinmygarden]

That's great to hear! Thanks for letting me know. Have a lovely afternoon 🙂

[@hattiedraper1061]

Thank you

[@chickensinmygarden]

Thank you for watching 🙂

[@peterdavid2381]

Good morning from Germany 😄 It's good to see that you hold your chickens like I'm used to hold mine too. In the beginning of having chickens, I had problems to hold them until a woman with along experiance showed me how to do it. Therefore your Video will be importend for people who start having chickens 👍. What race is the young red chicken you hold on your hand? Is it a hybrid? All the best, Peter 🐓

[@chickensinmygarden]

Good evening from New Zealand! The chicken I'm holding was hatched from eggs sold to me as being Buff-laced Wyandotte. She's got the heavy Wyandotte body and lays the typical creamy-coloured eggs but her lacing is not very good, barely perceptible in fact, and she has a single comb instead of the rose comb that would be correct for a Wyandotte 😥

[@peterdavid2381]

@@chickensinmygarden Thanks for the quick answere👍

[@chickensinmygarden]

It's high summer here, 8 pm on a lovely evening, we have just finished eating our dinner on our deck overlooking the garden (and chickens). You stay cosy and warm 🙂

[@ChescoYT]

hiii, what breed is Pumpkin?

[@chickensinmygarden]

Hi there. Pumpkin is supposed to be a Buff Laced Wyandotte but her comb is not quite right so she's probably not purebred

[@VivianaMargalot]

Hi Sheryl, I´d like to ask a question about a certain problem i'm dealing with my chickens, may I write here or do yo prefer another media? Thanks so much in advanced. Regards, Viviana

[@chickensinmygarden]

Hi Viviana, you can email me [e-mail] 🙂

[@pseudopetrus]

I agree, it is not good to hold a chicken upside down, they can't breath!

[@chickensinmygarden]

All chicken keepers need to know this.

[@Itzz_Ryann]

Isnt it true that chickens cant breathe upside down when hold them by their legs?

[@chickensinmygarden]

Absolutely! And it also puts a lot of strain on their hip joints. It's cruel. Don't do it. (I'm sure you wouldn't) 🙂

[@Itzz_Ryann]

@@chickensinmygarden I wouldn't ever such a thing,my neighbors own some chickens and I love checking up on them,especially on the warm days in nz

[@chickensinmygarden]

How lovely to "share" some chickens! And I bet you would be a great Chicken Sitter if they go on holiday 🙂

[@Itzz_Ryann]

@@chickensinmygarden I sure am!

[@вариантыглаза]

What to do if my chicken prefer my neighbors house and does not come back to me? 😢

[@chickensinmygarden]

Go visit your neighbour and find out why your chicken thinks it's better there - more company? Better food? Fresh ground? Then you know how to improve your chicken run 🙂

[@вариантыглаза]

@@chickensinmygarden actually my neighbors also have chickens lookin exactly like mines. And for the last few days my chickens have been together with them and they r not coming back in time🥺. I cant go to my neighbors everyday to bring them back. So Can you tell how to make them come to my home instead of my neighbors?

[@chickensinmygarden]

You have to think like a chicken 😀 What is it that they like better at the neighbour's?

[@вариантыглаза]

@@chickensinmygarden they have lot of space and we don't

[@chickensinmygarden]

Ah, that's difficult. If you can't expand your space to be appropriate for the number of chickens you have, then perhaps you should reduce the number of chickens to match your space. The only other option is to build an inescapable prison to keep your chickens in 😥