Can i get my chickens to enjoy being held?

[mrdruids]

a couple are eating out of my palm now

and i just went out and rubbed poppycock's tummy on the perch and she didnt seem to mind heres hoping

 

[mystang89]

I have 5 leghorn bantams and I feel lucky if they come close enough to eat out of my hand. Actually I only have one that does that and its the alpha hen. The rest wouldn't touch me if I had mealworms for fingers.

 

[chicken grandma]

Quote:
My Belgium D'Uccle is the cuddliest bird ever. My Silkie mix was the second most cuddly!

 

[CarolJ]

Quote:
I want to pet my birds, and I've found that if I bring them meal worms, they come close and I've been able to stroke the backs of several. However, as much as I'd enjoy petting them, won't they poop on you if they're on your lap??? I don't know that I could handle that very well!

 

[mrdruids]

Quote:
I want to pet my birds, and I've found that if I bring them meal worms, they come close and I've been able to stroke the backs of several. However, as much as I'd enjoy petting them, won't they poop on you if they're on your lap??? I don't know that I could handle that very well!

MassivelyScrambled said hes never been pooped on, i wouldnt mind it but gross stuff doesnt bother me (i even like the smell of the dump) but maybe you could put a towel on your lap just in case

man i really need to get some meal worms, today i kinda pet my hen poppycock a little bit i think with meal worms i might completely win her over

 

[MassivelyScrambled]

Quote:
I want to pet my birds, and I've found that if I bring them meal worms, they come close and I've been able to stroke the backs of several. However, as much as I'd enjoy petting them, won't they poop on you if they're on your lap??? I don't know that I could handle that very well!

MassivelyScrambled said hes never been pooped on, i wouldnt mind it but gross stuff doesnt bother me (i even like the smell of the dump) but maybe you could put a towel on your lap just in case

man i really need to get some meal worms, today i kinda pet my hen poppycock a little bit i think with meal worms i might completely win her over

That's correct, as a kid or as an adult I've never had an adult chicken that is healthy poop on me while holding it or having it on my lap etc. Not that it's not possible... but they seem to realize they are not on the ground or a roost. Now chicks..... I wouldn't trust quite as much! haha

 

[mrdruids]

i just fed my girls meal worms for the first time, my god now i know why you guys call them chicken crack O_O

 

[Echolalia]

I have discovered in the past week that chickens LOVE raisins. I can now get my girls to come to me and eat out of my hand. Try raisins.

 

[Billyj]

It took me a while to be able to pick mine up. Where I messed up was that I didn't try when they were still small. I have 15 grown hens and about 16 or 17 "teenagers" right now. I can pick up about 9 on my hens and pet just about all of my teens. I think what did it for me was when I got rid of my roo. The girls would "posture" for me and I would just pet them. Eventually I started picking them up and now it's no problem.

Also treats are wonderful at getting them used to being petted/picked up. And yes mine love raisins also. I have one Black Jersey Giant hen that will come running across the yard when she sees the container. She just knocks everybody out of the way to get to the front.

Just be patient and keep trying. It will happen.

 

[Mama duck 8]

Hand feed them