I have 4 females, and one male. We had them since they were fairly small chicks. They've all been handled, and made to trust us. They chase rattle snakes and pick at them until they slither away. They love to be let out of their coop to free range, but go back into the coop about an hour later. They're great. The rooster seems to get upset if I hold one of the ladies for too long. He starts throwing stuff at me.
The ladies different colored (loose) zip ties around an ankle to identify them. One needs to loudly announce every thing she does. She will also nip at your hand if you don't give her treats. There's another that was injured when she was a chick so she is weary of children and feet. Even with that she is very mellow and will stand on your shoulder if you let her. The other two ladies seem to blend into the background a bit. They're fun to watch and they're really nice to the other animals. My miniature schnauzer will try to attack them, but has learned she doesn't like when the rooster nips her nose.
My dog did kill a chick when they were a few weeks old, and hasn't gotten over how wonderful her first kill was. So, the dog is usually made to stay in the house while the chickens are out.
There are pictures of the chickens in my online album. Oh! And this flock cleaned up the locust infestation we had earlier in the summer. It was incredible.
There are pictures of the chickens in my online album. Oh! And this flock cleaned up the locust infestation we had earlier in the summer. It was incredible.