I made that observation this afternoon. We visited a friends farm and they have some chickens, mean chickens.
My birds, you go out to the pen, squat down, and say "here chickie!!" really loud and they all come running(if they weren't out there already). Half of them want to hop up on your lap. I've been known to pick them up and pet them, hug them, even give them a "peck" on the cheek. They'll close their eyes and cluck contently. I'll set them back down and get a look like "I wasn't done!"
But the peoples farm we went to today, the chickens were flighty, nervous, and mean. When you did pick one up, you put it down fast. I asked if they ever spent time out there with them. I got laughed at...
We both have a dog from the same litter of puppies. They're mom was a beagle, while dad was a traveling salesman(shepard the vet told me). My dog, Jeenie, is the kindest, sweetest, most gentle thing you ever saw. You should see her with my little 6 month old nephew. She's so careful. Their dog though, I forgot her name, just seems very nervous and unapproachable; kind of like their chickens. You call to her and she doesn't seem to want anything to do with people, even her owner.
I swear, 90% of animal behavior is how they're treated by the owner. It certainly seems to be the case in this instance.
My birds, you go out to the pen, squat down, and say "here chickie!!" really loud and they all come running(if they weren't out there already). Half of them want to hop up on your lap. I've been known to pick them up and pet them, hug them, even give them a "peck" on the cheek. They'll close their eyes and cluck contently. I'll set them back down and get a look like "I wasn't done!"
But the peoples farm we went to today, the chickens were flighty, nervous, and mean. When you did pick one up, you put it down fast. I asked if they ever spent time out there with them. I got laughed at...
We both have a dog from the same litter of puppies. They're mom was a beagle, while dad was a traveling salesman(shepard the vet told me). My dog, Jeenie, is the kindest, sweetest, most gentle thing you ever saw. You should see her with my little 6 month old nephew. She's so careful. Their dog though, I forgot her name, just seems very nervous and unapproachable; kind of like their chickens. You call to her and she doesn't seem to want anything to do with people, even her owner.
I swear, 90% of animal behavior is how they're treated by the owner. It certainly seems to be the case in this instance.
