# How to pick up chickens the right way.



## mmccarthy781 (Jun 2, 2013)

Hi everyone,
So My 3 pullets are 3 months old now, and i handle them everyday. However, I was never taught how to pick up adult chickens, so I still pick them up like I did when they were chicks (I put my hand in front of them and gently push them back so that they are standing on my hand/arm). This is getting harder now that they are older, and I always get scratched by their long nails. I was reading that you are supposed to pick them up by the wings, do you think that I should switch the way I pick them up? I'm afraid they won't like the new way.

Cheers,
Mike


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

You can place their chest in one hand and grab both feet with the other, like carrying a bouquet of long stem roses~they may flap a bit but you can just wait a bit..and then tuck them under one arm like a football, with the feet hanging down by your side.


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## back2simplelife (Jul 6, 2013)

This is how I was taught.. it works well for ours! http://hencam.com/faq/handling-and-picking-up-your-hens/


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## fundabug (Jul 18, 2012)

My chickens stay in an enclosed run most of the time, but sometimes when I'm working out in the yard I'll turn them loose to free range for the day. There's always a couple of stragglers at the end of the day I have to go pick up. I either have very laid back chickens or they liked being picked up. I just grab them from one side with my fingers on the breastbone and my thumb on their back, tucking one wing in my hand. They just sit quietly and I can carry a chicken in each hand. I can't palm a basketball, but I can palm a full grown hen.


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