5 week old social butterfly

chickenchichi said:

One of my two rooster chicks is very socially adept. While both of them will jump onto my shoulder/head, Moses will jump onto anyone regardless of if they're strangers or not. I was just wondering if maybe there's an instinctive chicken reason why he does this, or if maybe it's friendliness?

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aart said:

No, they may be too young at 5 weeks for it to be the beginning of a dominance behavior....
.....it's probably just that they like to be up high and they are not afraid of people.
BUT...It's not a habit I would allow to continue, especially the cockerels...it's cute when they are tiny, but can be devastatingly injurious when they get larger. 

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chickenchichi said:

Quote: Depends...some folks want their chickens all cuddly on their laps like other pets.
My birds are more livestock than pets and I prefer them to remain with their feet not on me and shove them off if they land on me. I handle my birds from chicks so they get used to it and I can inspect them for pests/problems without too much drama and fear....but once the males show that they are males I handle them much less than the pullets. I have a couple that liked to be picked up and I oblige them, it's funny, but for the most part the only time I touch them is if something is wrong or during the regular inspections that happen at night when I grab them off the roost.

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