Are my chicks always going to love me ?

[starchick2]

Quote:
What kind of treats do you give them?

 

[wbruder17]

I give them lots of different things. Aside from their layer feed, they have a 5 grain mixture they get as a treat. They also have a cabbage tetherball ( a cabbage skewered on a screw and hung by a string) that they LOVE. It keeps them busy for hours. They also get grass clippings (cut VERY small) and any other veggie scraps I have fom our table. I give my babies scrambled eggs, to train them to come to me when they are young. And they also, very occasionally, mostly my broodies, they will get some mozzerella cheese, which is almost better than eggs, but not quite.

 

[agstanley]

"What do you mean by this?"

I'm sorry, but I have a very difficult time attributing human emotions to livestock.

Granted, I'm pretty sure that my dogs and cats hold me in some esteem.....but I do believe that my horses, cattle and poulty are ruled by the most basic of instincts: survival. I do not consider it "love" when any of them come to feed. They acknowledge my presence as the bringer of food, water, and heat....that's it. Basic instinct. Throw a fly or cricket into the batch and you'll get the same response.

I will grant you that some of them are more "personable" then others....Stronger instincts, maybe a bit more inteligent. But mostly just looking for a "treat". I've a steer that would get in my lap if he could...but only because he likes to have his chin scratched. I don't read human emotions into it...

But then, I raise hundreds of chick and ducklings each year. Only a few remain in my primary breeder flock or exhibition flock. I don't get to know them personally. I am a farmer......I try not to get attached, as BIRDS JUST DIE.

Angela Stanley
Rockgate Farm

 

[Dez]

Quote:
Well that is understandable coming from someone who is a farmer and raising livestock for a practical reason. But people who only keep a few chickens as pets view their animals differently than just livestock.

My silly question was directed more to people who raise only a few chicks as pets, and not farmers. These people I would assume get to know their birds a little better and get attached to their personality a bit more.

My chicks are still young but they seem to be content sitting on my lap preening their feathers.. And maybe that is just because they feel safer next to a human when there is a chance of a hawk snatching them up (could chalk that up to instinct i suppose) . I am not sure

and" BIRDS JUST DIE", well, all pets/animals die. I am not raising my two birds for meat. I hope to one day get a few eggs from them for my personal use and even when they are past their prime of laying I will still want to keep them I will keep them healthy, happy and safe for as long as possible. They are my pets.. yes just common ordinary chickens but I enjoy them

 

[Fawkes]

Yes, if you spend a lot of time with them they will love and trust you. Its no different to how a parrot can love you. Granted, parrots are probably a little smarter. I don't have chickens but I have ducks and have found they love me no less when they're grown. people sometimes forget that the only thing that separates them from other animals is that they are often eaten and used for eggs. That doesn't mean they don't make great loving pets. Its like people thinking its incredible that pigs are as smart as dogs.

BIRDS JUST DIE

Everyone dies, sometime. Chickens live 10+ years, thats generally as long as dogs live.​

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Well that is understandable coming from someone who is a farmer and raising livestock for a practical reason. But people who only keep a few chickens as pets view their animals differently than just livestock.

My silly question was directed more to people who raise only a few chicks as pets, and not farmers. These people I would assume get to know their birds a little better and get attached to their personality a bit more.

My chicks are still young but they seem to be content sitting on my lap preening their feathers.. And maybe that is just because they feel safer next to a human when there is a chance of a hawk snatching them up (could chalk that up to instinct i suppose) . I am not sure

and" BIRDS JUST DIE", well, all pets/animals die. I am not raising my two birds for meat. I hope to one day get a few eggs from them for my personal use and even when they are past their prime of laying I will still want to keep them I will keep them healthy, happy and safe for as long as possible. They are my pets.. yes just common ordinary chickens but I enjoy them

You may well regard your chickens as pets & you may well even feel attached to them but that does not mean they love you. They may come to you & follow you but that's because you're the bringer of food. If I werew to take your chickens after you'd had them a year in 2 weeks they'd be following me & if you came around they wouldn't pay any attention to you. You'd have been replaced by a different food bringer.
Chickens are ruled primarily by instinct with a limited capacity for conditioning. They don't have the capacity to "love" as that's a human concept & fer beyond a chicken's cognitive ability. Frankly I can't help but feel a little sad when I read about someone who is looking to chickens to fill their emotional needs.

 

[speckledhen]

Frankly, I feel a little sad when I see people who have had chickens for decades and really don't know chickens at all, haven't taken any time to let their personalities come forth. Yes, they'll follow someone who has food, sure. But, the ones who want to be held all the time know I don't have anything to eat. They want to be held. They don't care if I have food. In fact, I have some who will literally bypass food to jump into my arms. Blows the food theory all to kingdom come.

Do they "love" the way humans do? I don't know and I don't care. They do show affection, real affection. If a person hasn't seen that, they haven't tried to see it, in my opinion. I would hate to have lived my entire chicken keeping career and missed that. That isn't looking to chickens to meet my emotional needs at all; that's simply allowing them to be who they are and not turning a blind eye to it.

 

[jettgirl24]

Agreed speckledhen, and enjoying your chickens (or horses, or goats, or whatever) company is not sad... It's a wonderful part of my life and many others as well. I don't think it means any of us have an emotional void we're looking to fill, it's just an enjoyable part of our lives. I too have a hen that would rather snuggle even when there is food 3 feet away. I also have a horse that looks for me when he is nervous and plays games with me instead of grazing. Animals do form bonds with each other and with humans and it isn't solely based on food. It's a bit sad to me if that's the only reason your animals choose to interact with you.

 

[Fawkes]

Quote:
Completely agree!

I have no experience with chickens, but I have picky ducks that don't even like most treats. They love ME, not food.

 

[agstanley]

Okee Dokee, whatever works for you.....
Decades of research and animal science is all wrong. All the chickens, ducks and whatever, love their owners. That's a very comforting thought, especially for Newbies....I would like to believe that my horse of 23 years has some affection for me.....but I can't be sure. I know that my dog does. Think mental capacity.

I'll ask again in 20 years and let's see if you still feel the same way.

Try to remember: SAFETY is one of the baser instincts as much as FOOD. Think about it for a moment. Lord knows how many goslings and ducklings have circled my feet and followed me through the fields. Do they love me? Or do they just temporarily see me as MOMMY, and SECURITY?

Food for thought, eh?

My comments were not meant to pick a fight, nor were they meant to demean anyone. Just a different perspective. And be glad that I have it, because people like me FEED people like you.

Regards.