Chicken Affection?

[bcorps]

You know, my chickens preen themselves A LOT. But I never see them pay any attention to each other whatsoever.

I am a parrot guy first, and I have to say, parrots are ALWAYS grooming each other affectionately. I suppose it strengthens their flock bonds and what not.

So it makes me curious as to why they respond the way they do to chicken-human cuddling. After everybody settled down last night, I literally made a couple of them fall asleep in my lap. All of my young hens and even my favorite rooster just LOVE to get their necks scratched. Apparently, chicken cheeks are one of their "slip into a coma" zones too. Even my rooster that doesn't trust me any more (because I submitted him for biting me), can't help but nod off when I'm talking softly to him and scratching his jaw.

It all just seems very strange to me if they never are affectionate to each other.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have chickens that'll help each other preen, & my roosters Dino, & Maran love my attention.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Well they don't have human hands to give each other a nice pat like we can give them but they do kinda show affection by helping preen each other in the dust bath or rooster finding tasty treats for his hens and then holding it in his mouth for her to take off him
Pic roo with corn making clucking noise calling over Chickaletta who plucks it straight from his beak

Helping dust bathe

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have a chicken that falls asleep with wattle and chin scratches, too! I have a video but cant post it on here.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

My chickens don't preen each other but the often have cuddle puddles. They make friends and stick extra close to them. Where one friend goes the other follows and they chatter constantly and share food with pals and back them up in fights. They form cliques and when one of them moves the rest start to move also. They're definitely affectionate, just not in the way parrots are.

 

[RebelEgger]

Mine love chin scratches too, and I discovered my rooster likes belly rubs! lol he was falling asleep the other day when I was rubbing his belly, so cute.

 

[bcorps]

Yesterday, the sweetest thing happened (I feel like I'm gonna lose my man card for even talking about it). I was sitting next to them, letting them free range a bit. I was giving them some black fly larva, and of course my roosters, aka "feathered pigs", had jumped up and were stomping all over my lap, and making that eager "begging" noise. I had expected that. What I didn't expect was that my smallest hen "Little Miss" would jump up, and force her way in between them.

At that point, 3 chickens in my lap was getting to be a bit much, so I stretched my arm out, removing the bowl from their reach. Naturally, the two roosters, miraculously lost their love for me, and soon jumped down. I set the bowl on the edge of my garden so I could have both hands open.

What Little Miss did shocked me. Turns out she wasn't up there for the food. She basically jumped up on my chest, and forced herself under my chin and got on my shoulder, pressing against my cheek. I put one hand up there and started petting her, and she was just loving it. She stayed up there for a good 10 minutes, before I decided I didn't want to get pooed on and I gently moved her back down to my lap.

What got into her?! It was starting to get towards bed time, so do you think maybe she was doing roosting behavior, with the frantic snuggling?

 

[cherylwillard1]

I have an orpington hen that just recently started laying. She doesn't pay any of the other chickens any mind except her "man". Her "man" happens to be a gorgeous white Leghorn with an impressively red comb and wattle. However, since she started laying 3 days ago, she LOVES for me to stroke her back and nuzzle her. Up to this points, she's been stand off ish and shy. She does get jealous when I hold her "man", and pecks at any body part she can get to on me. How weird is that?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Maybe it's not outright affection but I do see my hens grooming each other, picking bits of debris off one another, etc I think they're more interested in eating whatever's on the other bird, but the bird being groomed will usually stand still and close their eyes, so they do seem to enjoy the attention. They also seem to have preferred grooming partners, so certain birds will groom specific other ones.

 

[Sally PB]

And I do have a couple that will jump in my lap for treats but as soon as I try to pet them they jump down. I keep holding out hope that it will change eventually.

Same thing here. All will take food from my hand, but only one will let me - very briefly - touch her wing. I reach in from on the side and down low. Today she came into the coop while I was scooping poop (no treats), and I petted her wing two or three times.

I'm hoping when it's really cold, they discover momma has a warm lap.