Chicken Friendship stories

[Della333]

Have you ever witnessed a chicken show another chicken (or animal or person) genuine friendship?

I have 1 Speckled Sussex who I named Broomhilda when I forst got her because she complained her whole
first day ......

over the months she has settled in and become our tiny booted bantam's best buddy.

They look odd together - such a difference in size. The bantam will nuzzle into the Sussex's side on the roost
they are always next to each other.

When they go out in the yard I find them relaxing sitting side by side
or when they go exploring the Sussex will slow down , let the rest of the flock go on while she waits for the
wee feather footed slow poke. She will often show the little one where the best bugs and worms are,
and they share the same dust bath hole all the time !

The top of the pecking order is another Sussex (Murtle)- she's bossy, doesn't take any "back talk".
She doesn't hurt anyone but she sure makes her position clear.

I added a new hen to the coop yesterday and "Bossy Murtle" started laying down the rules and pulling
the new girl by the neck feathers a little. Like school kids who pull hair !

Doesn't Broomhilda position herself between the two - she doesn't fight with the new girl , she doesn't
confront the "boss" she just makes sure she stands quietly between the two as if she's protecting the new girl
and soothing the "boss" . She's keeping the peace, softly clucking to them both.

This is a chicken with personality - big ol' soft hearted girl.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

That sounds cute

My mom is always telling the story of one of her hens who had a pigeon fall in love with her. Apparently everyday he would fly down when they came out of the henhouse and scratch around for her. Doing dances for her while she ate.

Poor confused fellow... but so darn sweet.

 

[Mandalina]

I has a polish and a SLW who were total BFF's. My SLW Martini lost her brother and was pretty lonesome and started to be mean to me.Suddenly my polish Alberta Einstien who never paid any attention to Martini started sitting with her at night, eating with her during the day, and just generally hanging out with her. When I decided to sel la few birds I had a lady come over and she fell in love with Martini and asked to buy her, and Martini seemed to like this lady a heck of a lot more than me lol. I loaded Martini up in the box to go and poor Alberta stood next to that box and wouldnt move. I realized that Alberta really loved her best friend, so I told the lady I couldnt sell Martini unless she wanted to buy Alberta too, and she did. I miss Alberta but I know she is happy with her friend.

 

[mdbokc]

I have a RIR and a BO cross that are inseparable. And they do their thing away from the others. Very interesting to observe these girls.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I had a lone serama hatch under one of my serama hens, at 3 weeks old mama decided to peck the crap out of her baby. In another brooder I had tons of chicks I bought from Ideal with a few I hatched in my bator in with them. This lone serama thought I was mama and wanted to be with me 24/7. He got to go to thanksgiving dinner in the pouch of my sweatshirt and ate like a king. The next few days were hard because he would cry when he was alone so I tried putting him in the brooder with the other chicks, most picked on him but one cochin cross pullet named fuzzy became his best friend. She would let him snuggle under her and peck at the meanies trying to peck at peanut. Fuzzy is still with me but peanut was sold and ended up passing away due to a cold snap where the new owner lived. I still cry for peanut

Had I just kept him he would still be alive today running around with his best buddy fuzzy. Fuzzy is the friendliest chicken I have ever had, she runs up to me everyday and sits on my lap cooing at me.

Another story,

Again I had a lone hatched chick this time it was a cochin/ee mix named squirt. After only a few weeks mama hen took a hike and left this poor girl to fend for herself with the flock. She ran up to me and wiggled her way under my shirt to keep warm. I spent the next 3 weeks carrying her around everywhere and at night she slept in my bed with me wrapped in her favorite fleece blanket. I had 2 pullets the same age as her in a dog kennel in the basement until they got big enough to join the flock, one is a brown/red cochin pullet and the other is a serama pullet. I put squirt in the dog kennel and the serama hen beat the crap out of poor squirt but I kept putting her in there everyday so the serama girl would get used to her. One day I left the door to the kennel open and while I was at work squirt had jumped out of her daytime box and in with the other 2 pullets. When I got home she was snuggled up next to the cochin pullet and the serama pullet left her alone. To this day they are still together, If I take one of them away to weigh it or just inspect it the other one cries and cries until the one is returned.

 

[Mountain Sunshine]

We have a polish pullet, her name is Ralph. She has been a misfit from the get go. The others in the flock always made her wait to eat last and push her out the way. Wouldn't them her roost with them. They had even started pulling her head feathers out. I thought I was going to have to take her out and make her a place of her own.
Well, we by chance went and bought two Buff Orpington Hens. They were a year old and already laying eggs. Once we got them integrated into the flock the most wonderful thing happened. Both of the hens adopted Ralph. (well..that's what I call it) Anytime one of the other tried to pick on Ralph the BO's would go after them. They let her eat with them and Ralph even sleeps with them at night. While they are out in the run Ralph sticks right with the "girls" (what I call them). They are her protectors.
I just thought it was really neat how they took her in and take care of her.