POLL: do your chickens like to be touched or held?

[SeaChick]

yup definitly

 

[bigzio]

Yep, some like it alot more than others. I have a few that are standoffish and never want to be held, while others look for the attention and some simply tolerate being held. They all are individuals and are different.

bigzio

 

[CarriBrown]

All of our chickens will come up for a treat, but the Wyandottes are the nosey ones... always following me around looking for a hand out or pat!
Here is Potpie when she was a baby. I'm not sure what made her decide to wedge herself in there...

 

[sam]

I have three hens, all about 7 months old, my silky loves to be picked up and will walk right up to me, the second, an Ameraucana doesn't like it so much but will let me and the third a Australorp, doesn't want anything to do with it. The silky is a charming pet and the most favorite animal on the farm!

 

[Nugget]

several of mine (wyandottes, 2 month old) will hop onto my lap if they think I have something good, but my bantam game hen LOVES to be pet, cuddled and ride on my shoulder. She snuggles under my hair making the sweetest sounds

<3

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Here is my list of yes' and nos. I only have seven (until sooon) so it won't be that long:
Red Cochin Rooster, Louie: Yes!
Red Sex Link Hen, Tiny: No
Barred Plymouth Rock Rooster, Flower (long story, ask if you'd like): Not So Much
Welsummer Rooster, Maple Syrup: Not So Much
Golden Commet Rooster, Zaxbys: Not So Much
Red Cochin/Red Sex Link cross Cockerel: Not So Much
Black Cochin/White Japanese cross Cockerel: Yes!

Here is what everything REALLY means:
Yes - Of Course! Always wants to be in my lap.
Not So Much - Doesn't LIKE to be held, but if picked up, will sit in lap for however long is wanted.
No - If held, will fly off. Just doesn't want to be touched!

 

[alaskachick]

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no . I bought my 14 chickens from a seller who hatched hundreds at a time and then they just graduated from one pen to the other so none of them got held. Actually probably the only time they ever got held was to pick them up and put them in my crate to carry them home to their new coop. I tried to bond with them, but they run for their lives when I come towards them. I sit outside with them and so they definitely know me, but they will not let me touch them. It will be a year in June that I have had them and they are 10 months old. The rooster is the most friendliest of all of them meaning he doest run when he see me coming, but the girls do and if i make a sudden move they take flight.

 

[jdellosso]

Boy, can they have different personalities, and they do change over time. I just have two 18-month old cochins, and the larger one (Vivienne) acts like a cat...rubs up against my legs, loves to be held. Her "sister" could care less, and used to run away until she experienced the wonder of the hair dryer. If they get soaked by rain, I don't let them go to sleep wet, so I rinse them off, towel them kinda dry, then get out the hair dryer. True heaven for my chickens. Now BB (Barbeque) trusts me and lets me rub her back, pick her up and hold her whenever I approach. Of course, Vivi gets jealous and wants up, too. I thought I already raised my children!

 

[chicknmania]

They always seem to enjoy being held when they're young, but same thing, when they're older, not so much...or not at all It's like the older ones tell the younger ones.."what, are you crazy????"

 

[michickenwrangler]

Some do, some don't.

Two of my cochins are cuddle bugs. One of my black stars and two of my gold comets enjoyed being petted and held but aren't quite as cuddly. Another gold comet tolerates petting but squawks and flaps when I pick her up. The others all hide when they see me bend over. The EE cockerel especially. Odd considering when he was a chick I would hold him on my lap while I watched TV and he would fall asleep.