Outta Here
Songster
- May 17, 2021
- 462
- 1,669
- 186
I've had chickens for 40 years, but this is the first time I've tamed them as pets, and now I'm enjoying them immensely! The hard work pays off with a flock who, instead of squawking and scattering at a human hand reaching to pet, actually comes running to seek affection!
To begin, I drove the hour and a half home from the feed store with my new chicks tucked under my shirt for warmth and imprinting. From the day they came home, I started sitting in the cleaned sand of the henhouse petting them. Every day of their lives all of them have climbed all over me for treats, and every morning and night I pet each one on the roost. They are now 8-12 weeks old: 3 Barred Rocks, 2 Leghorns, 3 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Sapphire Gems, 2 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, 1 Easter Egger, and 1 Barnevelder.
I've put in lots of hours to make pets of them all equally, but the result with each breed has turned out differently: The least friendly is my Barnevelder. She is the only one who still squawks and panics when I reach to pet her on the roost lineup, and though she might dart to eat from my hand with the others, she runs from any petting. She'll be the first I'll sell if I reduce my flock. The next most wary one is my Easter Egger. She's sweet and will hesitantly hop up on my lap for pets but remains a bit nervous. The Leghorns are less flighty than the Barnevelder and EE and will boldly climb onto my lap to beg for a treat and peck my arms and legs a bit aggressively. They will endure pets but are really after the treats. The next friendliest are the Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds, and Sapphire Gems, in that order, but pretty similar. All of these incredibly calm birds will jump on my lap for a treat and stay to enjoy a short pet. The Sapphire Gems are lowest in the pecking order and are gentler and friendlier than the Barred Rock and RIR.
And then there are the cockerels: My 12-week old (already crowing) Rhode Island Red is a complete sweetheart! He loves being petted and will get off his comfy patio chair to instead jump into my lap to continue his snooze. I'm delighted and hoping he will stay friendly with me. But my gorgeous 8-week-old Barred Rock cockerel never got as friendly as the Barred Rock chicks, and though he will allow petting and even jump into my lap for it, he still bristles like a rooster ready for a fight and acts wary. He doesn't calm down very easily, and he's pushy and precocious with the others, so I think he might be a bad boy when he grows up...
So, the absolute most friendly and affectionate? My Blue Laced Red Wyandottes! Lacy and Winnie will come running whenever I sit and compete with each other to claim my lap for a long cozy nap, head tucked under my arm, enjoying continuous stroking of their exceptional soft and beautiful feathers!
To begin, I drove the hour and a half home from the feed store with my new chicks tucked under my shirt for warmth and imprinting. From the day they came home, I started sitting in the cleaned sand of the henhouse petting them. Every day of their lives all of them have climbed all over me for treats, and every morning and night I pet each one on the roost. They are now 8-12 weeks old: 3 Barred Rocks, 2 Leghorns, 3 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Sapphire Gems, 2 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, 1 Easter Egger, and 1 Barnevelder.
I've put in lots of hours to make pets of them all equally, but the result with each breed has turned out differently: The least friendly is my Barnevelder. She is the only one who still squawks and panics when I reach to pet her on the roost lineup, and though she might dart to eat from my hand with the others, she runs from any petting. She'll be the first I'll sell if I reduce my flock. The next most wary one is my Easter Egger. She's sweet and will hesitantly hop up on my lap for pets but remains a bit nervous. The Leghorns are less flighty than the Barnevelder and EE and will boldly climb onto my lap to beg for a treat and peck my arms and legs a bit aggressively. They will endure pets but are really after the treats. The next friendliest are the Barred Rock, Rhode Island Reds, and Sapphire Gems, in that order, but pretty similar. All of these incredibly calm birds will jump on my lap for a treat and stay to enjoy a short pet. The Sapphire Gems are lowest in the pecking order and are gentler and friendlier than the Barred Rock and RIR.
And then there are the cockerels: My 12-week old (already crowing) Rhode Island Red is a complete sweetheart! He loves being petted and will get off his comfy patio chair to instead jump into my lap to continue his snooze. I'm delighted and hoping he will stay friendly with me. But my gorgeous 8-week-old Barred Rock cockerel never got as friendly as the Barred Rock chicks, and though he will allow petting and even jump into my lap for it, he still bristles like a rooster ready for a fight and acts wary. He doesn't calm down very easily, and he's pushy and precocious with the others, so I think he might be a bad boy when he grows up...
So, the absolute most friendly and affectionate? My Blue Laced Red Wyandottes! Lacy and Winnie will come running whenever I sit and compete with each other to claim my lap for a long cozy nap, head tucked under my arm, enjoying continuous stroking of their exceptional soft and beautiful feathers!
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