I have a very friendly flock of silkies and they have individual preferences of petting spots. Most of my pullets like being scratched under the neck and on their chest. If I pet them on the back they just squat in mating behavior. I also like to gently feel their crop and see if it's full or not. I have one hen that if I feel her crop she throws up on me....so I avoid touching her there. I didn't know chickens had a 'gag reflex'. My favorite roo "Midnight" is a real character! He comes up and gets between me and his girls (which I originally thought was protective behavior). It turns out that he wants to be picked up and carried wherever I go. He sidles right up against my chest (My coops are waist height) and stays there until I pick him up. What a spoiled rotten roo!!!! He follows me around the yard and garden like a little dog until he hears the hens sounding off....then he runs to find them (not a simple thing to navigate through my garden maze of raised beds, deck walkways and stairs but he always finds them). He's definitely a lover. He likes to be petted all over except for his head.
