Me personally, I handle my chickens daily. I have handled them since the first moment they arrived from the hatchery, and even the ones I get elsewhere. I believe that they are smart enough to form a bond with people. I have birds that, when they were still in the brooder, they were very standoffish. They didn't want to be touched in any way and would actually bite when we went to put in fresh food and water. However, I moved them out to the coop last week and low and behold, guess who thinks I am now their best buddy ever? I chose the breeds that I initially got for temperment and size, with the exception of my SLW's. I saw a picture of them in a brochure at
TSC, thought they were lovely, so I ordered some with my Silkies and Cochins. I got all those birds from Cackle Hatchery. When I go out to the coop my birds don't care if I come with food, or without. They are so happy to see me that they all come running. I bring a chair out and I sit with them and they come up to have their necks rubbed and to get petted. I handle mine primarily to keep them used to getting handled, but also because a majority of them will shown over the next few years in 4-H by my kids. I rub combs, massage wattles, pet them, check their vent areas, etc, get them used to it. Most of my birds love to be handled. The only ones I have that prefer to be left alone are my Silkies, and for the most part I do leave them alone, however I do pick them up from time to time to check the growth of their combs and see how well their feathers are looking, etc. And they tolerate it. Right now I have bantam Cochins, Silkies, SLW's, EE's, one Sebright, an OEGB, a d'Uccle, 3 Amber Sexlinks, a Silkie mix, a standard sized Turken, a GLW, a Jersey Giant, and I am waiting on an order of bantam BO's from Ideal Hatchery, and for some bantam Turken eggs to hatch. I love all my birds. Heck, I love all my PETS! If an animal is smart enough to learn their name, they are smart enough to show affection, albeit THEIR kind of affection. I have 2 roo boys, one is a Barred Cochin, the other a Splash Cochin. Their names are Buddy and Abner, respectively. Buddy follows me around and talks to me in a soft cooing voice. He loves to be held and stroked. Then there is Abner who loves to sit on my shoulder or sit cradled in the crook of my arm like a baby. He doesn't like to go down on the ground when "Mommy" is in the coop. I bring my chair in there and sit with them and my daughter was laughing and making a joke yesterday afternoon because I was sitting on my chair and I had 9 birds on or around me on the chair, and she was saying "Let's see if we can make a world record for the most chickens to sit on mom!" It was cute. I didn't get pooped on (now THAT'S a miracle!) and I didn't pick any of them up. They all came up of their own free will. And when I got up, Abner refused to get down. I guess he thought he was coming in the house with me. I forced him to get down and go back with the rest of the flock, but he just pouted at the door after I stepped out and locked it. He did that again tonight too. I know they have feelings. I'm not saying you can't just have them and not handle them. I mean, how can they miss something they never had, right? But I want all my birds, roos especially, to know that I lead the flock, NOT them. And let me say, my 9 year old primarily does the feeding and watering, but it isn't her they come running to, it's me. I talk softly to them, I tell them how beautiful they are, I pet them and love them, and they respond to that. After she sits down in her chair and relaxes, then they come to her. One of our Sexlink pullets, Omelet, has determined that my daughter is an excellent source of attention when mommy is covered in other birds, and she will fly up onto her lap and stick her neck out so my daughter can rub it, lol. She stretches out and takes naps while my daughter rubs her, and if she stops rubbing her, Omelet will peck at her hand to remind her to keep rubbing. It's funny. I know opinions are mixed on this topic, but I couldn't imagine owning a pet that I couldn't have some sort of interaction with. I even had my goldfish trained when I was a teenager. (Yes, that IS possible, they are smart fish!) Even if all I can do is talk to them, I believe that animals are therapeutic and can bring a lot into our lives. And even chickens do their part in that. I love chickens. They are great animals to own.
***And I forgot to add, I am allergic to dogs, cats, cockatiel dander, and chickens too. I take allergy medicine or I am miserable. But it's a happy misery...
