Go on, admit it... Do you talk to your chickens?

[Melanieh]

I feel so much better now that I know that I am not the only one that thanks each girl for their eggs. My kids call me "The Crazy Chicken Lady". They just dont get it! Every day when I go outside I say ,"Hello, Ladies" and they all come out of the coop to greet me (even the two boys most of the time). Then the very vocal girls will talk back. They are so sweet!

 

[Debby27]

I feel so much better now that I know that I am not the only one that thanks each girl for their eggs. My kids call me "The Crazy Chicken Lady". They just dont get it! Every day when I go outside I say ,"Hello, Ladies" and they all come out of the coop to greet me (even the two boys most of the time). Then the very vocal girls will talk back. They are so sweet!

No Ma'am you are not the only one who thanks her ladies for the bounty of their eggs...

I do it everyday...lol

 

[Anniebee]

Always..they are my girls and most have names, especially if they have lived in the house because of illness or injury.
They follow me everywhere I go on the property and talk to me continually.They like to be picked up and petted. Yes, they are special.

Oh yes Jmurgang1943. .......... the "I-wanna-be-inside-the-house .. trick.

Might have posted this elsewhere, but recently during a very heavy storm with hail - my little Araucana Mindy, ( who for some reason loves to get wet ) .... was saturated. The other girls had the sense to retire to their coop to remain dry. So that was not a problem - just locked them up for the night.

Not Mindy. Brought her inside, sat her on the washing machine .... dried her off with a towel, which she delighted in --------- stuck her in the cat cage, and brought her into the family room which was cozy warm with the heater on.

Did she ever love THAT. Had paper in the cat cage, for her to happily poop on, and each time my Golden Retriever - Miss Ruby, stuck her nose onto the front wire on the cat basket, Mindy would have a peck .... so Miss Ruby decided that was a lost cause. And Mindy was showing her new found status !! .

After she was thoroughly dry, I 'graduated' her through a couple of rooms, to the laundry - and then back out into her coop. ( so's the transition from warm to cold was not so traumatic ) .... did she EVER kick up a fuss when put back in her coop. She refused to leave my arm ( perching ) .... and shrieked at me. While I don't claim to understand chook language too well, there was NO doubt as to what she was complaining about. I figure if she had her way, she'd have liked to live indoors forever.

They are classics, and certainly do understand us - better perhaps than we understand them at times.

 

[Jmurgang1943]

When I go out every day to get the eggs, the girls follow me and I constantly compliment them on their beautiful eggs. I do think they look pleased. My smallest hen, Snowball, lays the largest eggs and I am constantly amazed that she can pop one of those things out every day. I usually keep hers for us because they don't fit in the cartons. She is so special because she had a leg injury and Bob and I kept her inside for over six weeks giving her massage and warm hydrotherapy (in the bathtub). She taught herself how to use her wings as crutches and we were resigned to the fact that she may never get any better than that. However, she was determined to walk, and walk she did. It just took a very long time. I felt sad the day she was finally able to rejoin the flock. On nice days we put her outside in a playpen so her friends could visit with her and she enjoyed that very much. It was hard to turn her loose. She comes up on the porch every day and lays her huge egg for me.

 

[Handyhens]

This goes on all the time:
Me( in a baby voice ): hello, (chickens name) did you lay a nice pretty egg for mommy,thank you!
Chicken: brawk?
Me: do you want mealworms?
Chicken:brawk!
Me: okay here you go!

 

[Ponyfeather]

I know me and my mom have always talked to Pancake our house chicken, and really she tries to talk back. I mean why not chatter to them, they chatter to each other all day I'm sure if we didn't speak to them they think us strange.

 

[sunflour]

Yes doesn't everyone? I talk to my chickens, and they talk to me. And if you listen closely you will be able to tell who in the flock is talking to you by their voices and phrases…..and learn what they are telling you.

 

[Wol1]

Oh, yes, the spoiled chicken who's been in the house. We had one mauled by the dog (third one, actually, and yes, the dog is now living in a friend's backyard until we find a new home for her - she also killed three.) Pumpkin had to stay inside with us for almost three weeks resting and healing. Finally put her with the rest, who didn't recognize her with half her feathers missing and kept chasing her. She has now found her place again, but she still comes frantically running when she sees me, screaming "Help me! Help! Please! They're murdering me"

Yeah, right.

They're so much fun.

 

[sunflour]

Oh, yes, the spoiled chicken who's been in the house. We had one mauled by the dog (third one, actually, and yes, the dog is now living in a friend's backyard until we find a new home for her - she also killed three.) Pumpkin had to stay inside with us for almost three weeks resting and healing. Finally put her with the rest, who didn't recognize her with half her feathers missing and kept chasing her. She has now found her place again, but she still comes frantically running when she sees me, screaming "Help me! Help! Please! They're murdering me"

Yeah, right.

They're so much fun.

You know it's odd to me that "they" say when a chicken is separated from the flock they don't remember them and have to reestablish….But even if I don't get to visit mine for several days they don't forget who I am. I think whenever one is isolated like yours for injury or like my broody ( no roosters) twins, the others enjoy their new status in the flock and hope the returning one will be reduced to a lower position. And "they" are wrong, the chickens do remember, just hopeful of better pecking order?

 

[Yowza Wowza]

I love talking to my chickens