Do chickens really like to be held?

[notabitail]

Mine don't care for holding. But they LOVE perching on my arm. The feeling of digging into my skin with their nails must feel good or something.

In Albis came in and jumped on her lap without any encouragement today.

 

[Karen Glatz]

I have an Easter egger who seems to seek out being held. She will jump up on top of the coop or the low door of the food court to be near what I'm doing. And when I scoop her up, she sits calmly in my arms and lets me pet her feathers, massage her comb and scratch her beard.

 

[TillyPeeps]

My black Ameraucana girl will peck me to let me know it's cuddling time. No, she's not asking for treats. If she wants cuddling at treat time, she still peck me and then enjoy being hold instead of eating treats.

 

[SamLockwood]

I am a mere observer on the outskirts of chicken-dom, a simple quail keeper with a curious streak. No anthropomorphizing now, do your chickens actually enjoy being held/handled or do they merely tolerate it or are looking for treats (or other positive reinforcement)? Quail don’t like to be held or even touched, they’ll hang out with you (once convinced you won’t eat them and they can’t eat you) but they don’t like being confined or held or messed with. What about the ‘higher’ poultry, birds with a bit more brain power? Do your hens/ducks/whatever legitimately enjoy human physical contact or do they merely humor you in hopes of food? Interested to see your take on it!

From what I can tell, most times no. I did have one of my roos get pretty badly beat up when he was deposed as alpha roo. He was fussing and struggling while I inspected his injuries but when I started cleaning him up with a warm damp rag he calmed down and I didn't need to even hold him.

By the time I got done rubbing the Neosporin on his comb and wattles he was practically purring.

 

[QODTMWTD]

I am a mere observer on the outskirts of chicken-dom, a simple quail keeper with a curious streak. No anthropomorphizing now, do your chickens actually enjoy being held/handled or do they merely tolerate it or are looking for treats (or other positive reinforcement)? Quail don’t like to be held or even touched, they’ll hang out with you (once convinced you won’t eat them and they can’t eat you) but they don’t like being confined or held or messed with. What about the ‘higher’ poultry, birds with a bit more brain power? Do your hens/ducks/whatever legitimately enjoy human physical contact or do they merely humor you in hopes of food? Interested to see your take on it!

None of mine like it. Barred rocks, sapphire splashes, brown leghorns, and prairie bluebells: all hand-raised, hand-fed. The bluebells are by far the worst and nearly all of them still act half wild after 18 months of getting treated like royalty. Many of the other breeds will "assume the position," but that's not exactly like enjoying human attention, and the bluebells usually don't even do that much. Out of 25 chickens, not one would qualify as an affectionate pet, although they get excited when I show up (treats!). But they don't like to be picked up. Most of the bluebells have to get caught with a net when they need to be treated or examined for some reason.

 

[deanadid]

I am a mere observer on the outskirts of chicken-dom, a simple quail keeper with a curious streak. No anthropomorphizing now, do your chickens actually enjoy being held/handled or do they merely tolerate it or are looking for treats (or other positive reinforcement)? Quail don’t like to be held or even touched, they’ll hang out with you (once convinced you won’t eat them and they can’t eat you) but they don’t like being confined or held or messed with. What about the ‘higher’ poultry, birds with a bit more brain power? Do your hens/ducks/whatever legitimately enjoy human physical contact or do they merely humor you in hopes of food? Interested to see your take on it!

We have a Salmon Faverolle hen that was raised as an only and she seeks you out for attention. If you sit, she is on your lap or shoulder. She loves cuddles. We had two Rhode Island’s that we got as day olds. We didn’t make pets of them but they would run and practically trip you to be petted and they loved my husband, not me, to pick them up. We have now a Sliver laced Wyandotte and a Rhode Island that would prefer not to have anything to do with either of us. Personality must be everything

 

[The Coop Crew]

It varies by chicken. We have a cross beak that loves to be held. She will follow us around and squawk until we pick her up

 

[Rock and Rhode]

My chickens do not like to be handled. They didn't even like it as chicks making pasty butt fun.
And the do not like it now. When I enter the coop they will gather around me because they think I have food. Same when I am shovelling out under the roost. As soon as they see that shovel they come to scratch.
So I think it depends on the chicken.

 

[Magpiezoe]

Nope, but certain ones do ask me to pet them. I find that each chicken has its own personality. I did notice that my leghorns have always been kind of flighty and nervous. Our Rhode Island Reds are more like dogs and seem to know their own names and eat out of our hands. They are more gentle than the Black Stars/Sex-Linked. The Black Stars we have are kind of rough. They won't just eat out of our hands, they will take it out of our hands! I've seen youtube videos on how to get your chickens to enjoy being held.