How do you get your birds to be so friendly?

[DonyaQuick]

You know, I thought I knew the precise formula to this and then my most recent batch of pullets are making me try to figure it out again to some degree. When I got them, I was saying to myself "it's ok if this batch isn't friendly like my others" because I knew I wouldn't have as much time to interact with them as my previous batches of chicks...and yet at 6 weeks I swear these new brooder babies would crawl right up my nose if they could. That means every chicken I've had has ended up a hug addict even if it took a couple months.

I've raised 22 chickens from 3 different sources (two batches of hatchery chicks, hatching within my flock twice, & hatching eggs from a random local breeder). Not the biggest number I suppose, but with raising from multiple sources it just seems unlikely to me that it's completely luck of the draw given that not a single one stayed standoffish with me. The same is not true with my husband; some of my chickens love him, some don't. I think there's a lot to how you act with them, the body language etc., not just how often or how much time you spend. Time and frequency surely can't hurt but I think you can easily put off a nervous animal by doing the wrong thing.

I didn't push any of my chicks to interact with me, the only exceptions being if they had a physical problem that needed to be addressed immediately (pasty butt, etc.). Otherwise I just sit with them, let them out of their brooder in a safe area, and let them come to me and try not to move too fast when they're still skiddish. I don't move my hands fast unless one is about to do something dangerous. You get one that decides stepping on your hand is ok and the others follow in time. For really young chicks that are in a brooder rather than with a hen, I think responding when they cry is really important, even if it's just "I don't want to go to bed" sort of crying or that they got spooked in the middle of the night.

 

[Happy hen lover]

 

[Debbie292d]

In all my 8.5 years of chicken keeping, I haven't had a super friendly chicken. I've had many chickens over the years, and not one of them has been extremely friendly.
I see many people with very friendly birds and I'm wondering, how do y'all do it? How do you get them to hop on your lap, follow you around, ask for attention, ect...?
Is it the breed? How you raise them? How much attention they get? Where you get them? Or is it a luck of the draw type of a thing?
I'd like to hear about ducks too, as sometime soon I'd like to get them!

I don't have much time to spend schmoozing my chickens but try to reach my hand out with treats. Some will come up to eat from my hand, others stand back and look at me like, "Where's mine?" I throw them some when I'm done with the hand-eaters. Down the road, some will never come to eat from my hand, and the ones that do usually run to me when they see me out there. But jump up on my lap? Never happened. These are silkies, and I can sit one of the tamer ones on my lap, and he/she will stay there for a minute or two, like seeing what else they can get from me, and then down they go.

 

[GemW]

I am new and this is my first flock, so my experience is limited. But I heavily researched "the friendliest breeds", read reviews from the hatchery and lots of articles on how to raise friendly chickens. I have kids and wanted them to participate and have a "pet" chicken. I have 9 birds total and only one that lets me or anyone else pick her up. I have 2 that will let me pick them up but not the kids. 2 others that will jump on my back and then an occasional other one that will jump on my lap if I am sitting in a chair with treats. I spend a lot of time with them and used to make sure all of them were picked up every day. Outside of my 3 that will let me pick them up, they are all tolerating me and using me for treats.

So, I think there is a little bit to be said for the breed (just tendency wise) and a little to be said for interaction, but mostly just the individual bird and their personality, which comes down to luck....

 

[LizzzyJo]

Luck. Time. Treats.

 

[Tookie]

So, I think there is a little bit to be said for the breed (just tendency wise) and a little to be said for interaction, but mostly just the individual bird and their personality, which comes down to luck....

Breed and interaction do play a part, but it really comes down to the individual it seems.

 

[GemW]

Breed and interaction do play a part, but it really comes down to the individual it seems.

Everyone says Brahmas are loveable giants and mine want nothing to do with me. One of them is the head hen too.

 

[Tookie]

Everyone says Brahmas are loveable giants and mine want nothing to do with me. One of them is the head hen too.

Uh oh! Maybe its genetic or something?

 

[Chive]

It sometimes is just luck. I had a rooster that would give me hugs. He was the sweetest little thing! I loved him very much. But I didn’t do anything to make him do that. No extra treats or attention. One day he just walked up to me, so I squatted down, and he hugged me! I was so surprised! He has been my favorite chicken that I have ever owned. Unfortunately I lost him last year to the Avian Flu ! I miss him so much! Whenever I was sad I would go out to the chicken pen and just sit next to him and he would hug me. I wish I got more of his hugs before he died .
He was a beautiful Speckled Sussex rooster. I miss him very much. Here is a photo of him. His name was Cleve.

 

[Tookie]

It sometimes is just luck. I had a rooster that would give me hugs. He was the sweetest little thing! I loved him very much. But I didn’t do anything to make him do that. No extra treats or attention. One day he just walked up to me, so I squatted down, and he hugged me! I was so surprised! He has been my favorite chicken that I have ever owned. Unfortunately I lost him last year to the Avian Flu ! I miss him so much! Whenever I was sad I would go out to the chicken pen and just sit next to him and he would hug me. I wish I got more of his hugs before he died .
He was a beautiful Speckled Sussex rooster. I miss him very much. Here is a photo of him. His name was Cleve.

Awww, he sounded like such a good and well behaved boy. I love that he would give you hugs. I'm so sorry you lost him, he was beautiful.