Q.) Do chickens appreciate being picked up by humans???

[ChickaD]

Thanks for letting me know it's not just me! I'm thinking of using bribery, with food treats......gotta read up on what makes good snacks for chicks. It's not always easy to catch bugs (esp for 11 chicks!) and they are still pretty clueless about a big earthworm. At leeeeeaast now I can probably cross off bad breath as the cause of their skitterishness.

 

[the1much]

i have 3 hens that i cant even walk into the yard without them running to me and flying up on my shoulders,, 1 wants to sit next to me and lean on me while i scratch her like a dog. I have a big ole leghorn,that will do his "dance" right up to my foot, then walk over to the fence and wait for me to "catch" him and he LOVES to be scratched.i have some that jump on me when im watering them, but does NOT want me to touch her???chickens are like people, exept they dont mind letting you know, " i can mess with you,, but DONT mess with me unless im in the mood!" haha

 

[eeiko321]

hi guys
well yeah one has kinda come around.... to warming up

im not sure what it is..
but the younger one raised by humans....i dono if its trying to communicate to me.

but when im around etc....it makes a weird whinning sound....
that almost sounds like a dog thats sad...

the other one hardly ever does it at all.....

has anyone experience it?

 

[FarmerMack]

Quote:
I have one that thinks it's a dog... but then they all talk to me mostly an oriental king fu type wahhhhhh. Which is scarey if you've seen the "tiny kicks" commercial

Farmer Mack ok where did all these dritters come from?

 

[magikchick]

My silkies are the ones that like to be cuddled. Chickiepoo my buff roo comes when I call him. Priss the splash hen likes to be scratched but not picked up. Cloud my white hen is a snuggler. Puff the partridge roo warms up when you pick him up.

I have a black bantam cochin hen, Cloie, that's really sweet and a good talker too. The rest of the crowd like to take treats and will be held for a short time. They all come running when ever I walk outside.

Marsha

 

[flakey chick]

I kept 2 girls from my batch of chicks. They are most snuggly at bedtime when they like to perch on my arms and snuggle up together. The barred rock became much more snuggly after I saved her life. She managed to snag her foot and was hanging upsided down. I freed her and cuddled her while she came to. She now considers herself the favorite.

Neither like me to pick them up any more (teenagers). I had to pick up the skittish one to check on something under her chin. It was ok and I put her down, but the "favorite" one got jealous and jumped up on my lap. She still didn't want me to touch her but she had to be the one getting the most attention.

They do follow me around and I don't give a lot of treats. They don't like the fresh fruits and veggies I give them anyway. They do like cobwebs and paper. Sigh, such weird girls.

 

[the1much]

i can get my wife to take a pic of me and my dog,,i mean hen,,haha,,and TALK!!! i have 8 or so that sit there a cooo and talk,, and whine at me,, my loudest (big 7 month old roo) got sold yesterday,,,seems like i didnt hear a peep all night,,haha,, man he was a LOUD talker.

 

[FarmerMack]

Quote:
I have a barred that tazered herself on the electric fence ribbon and has taken to me more than the others. I heard her squawk and went immediately to her rescue held her until she got her motor control back. Ever since then she likes to land on my hand and come to me right away when i 'm in sight. Funny how they know that we care so much isnt it. All but a few of mine like having their chests lightly stroked when on the roosts at night when i stop in to say "good night ladies"

Farmer Mack - 16 hens, 1 Dawg, 2 cats, 6 goats, and yes still have the wife (whew!)

 

[MrsChickendad]

Quote:
Ours love: grapes, watermelon-especially the seeds, tomatoes, cantaloupe, sweet corn, frozen veggies. I haven't tried yogurt yet, but lots of people say their birds really love it. I have a recipe for homemade yougurt somewhere, will have to make it.

Oh, and the earthworms are tricky for them to learn to eat. They have to grab it by the end and swallow it down lengthwise.

 

[ChickaD]

Thanks for the ideas. Believe it or not, before finding this website, it never occurred to me to give treats to our chicks. Food is obviously a very big part of their world.........hmmm, no wonder our chicks are teenagers!