Have you had chickens who "never met a stranger"?

[Airyaman]

There's a saying around my parts: "She never met a stranger". What that means, basically, is that person can be relatively open and friendly in the company of people they've never met or are rarely around.

But I've found that none of my chickens are like that. When my daughter and granddaughter came by the other day, all of the chickens ran away and huddled in a corner. The same thing happened when some people came to pick up two of my BA cockerels.

Is that usually how your chickens are? Or is it because I'm typically the only human they see?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

There's a saying around my parts: "She never met a stranger". What that means, basically, is that person can be relatively open and friendly in the company of people they've never met or are rarely around.

But I've found that none of my chickens are like that. When my daughter and granddaughter came by the other day, all of the chickens ran away and huddled in a corner. The same thing happened when some people came to pick up two of my BA cockerels.

Is that usually how your chickens are? Or is it because I'm typically the only human they see?

Chickens are prey animals. Anything larger than they are potential predators. They literally run for their lives.

Also, many people new to chickens sort of loom over them, maybe trying to pet them from above. This is especially terrifying, as the humans seem like aerial predators.

But they're also curious. If visitors are able to be quite calm and still, they can sit on a chair in the chicken area, and eventually some will be curious enough to come check them out. Or maybe not, and even if they do, they'll probably scatter the moment the visitor makes a sudden move.

Running around trying to catch a chicken sets off every alarm bell they have.

 

[Airyaman]

Chickens are prey animals. Anything larger than they are potential predators. They literally run for their lives.

Also, many people new to chickens sort of loom over them, maybe trying to pet them from above. This is especially terrifying, as the humans seem like aerial predators.

But they're also curious. If visitors are able to be quite calm and still, they can sit on a chair in the chicken area, and eventually some will be curious enough to come check them out. Or maybe not, and even if they do, they'll probably scatter the moment the visitor makes a sudden move.

Running around trying to catch a chicken sets off every alarm bell they have.

To clarify, none of these people got real close to the chickens. They started freaking out as soon as they saw the other people. They did not run from me when I walked in the run to get the two cockerels, but they tried to stay as far aways as possible from the other people.

Lol, they definitely recognize me, even from a distance. As soon as I come in sight they head to my direction (if they are hungry, mostly!). There's the guy that feeds us!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

To clarify, none of these people got real close to the chickens. They started freaking out as soon as they saw the other people. They did not run from me when I walked in the run to get the two cockerels, but they tried to stay as far aways as possible from the other people.

Lol, they definitely recognize me, even from a distance. As soon as I come in sight they head to my direction (if they are hungry, mostly!). There's the guy that feeds us!

It definitely takes mine a while to get used to anyone else out in the back yard, although they've finally adjusted to my (adult) younger daughter, who is helping me out with the fencing, etc.

They've absolutely associated my husband and me with food, especially my husband, who is Mr. Treat Guy! If I even glance out the kitchen window, one sees me and heads as close as she can, and the other two are hot on her heels.

I found a new way to freak them out yesterday - we have a large low table with a woven surface that we use on the deck. I was trying to move it, and I tilted it upward. The Buff Orpington, who rarely makes a sound other than a murmur (on D-flat) squawked raucously and fled. Because everyone knows that large brown discs will kill ya.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

We had a doz RIRs that no matter who came in the fenced in yard they would all run to greet them and walk to the door with them, when they left the would all run back to them and escort them to the gate. Fuel oil delivery would have an audience on the porch railing and Bilco cellar doors as he loaded the tank. Kids on bikes, people walking by, they would keep pace along the fence line clucking and chattering the whole time. Rooster included.

 

[kattabelly]

Farm where I was staying a couple of years ago had a flock of Hyline Plus hens and also ran a campsite and did holiday lets, so lots of new faces around all the time. Some of the chickens liked to hang around the campsite kitchen and occasionally they'd try to join people in their tents or campervans. As far as I know they were like that right from the start when they got them as POL pullets.

The hens from the neighbouring egg farm (also Hyline Plus, some from the same batch) didn't see strange people nearly as often, unless they came visiting or decided to move in next door, but they were still happy to either come over in search of food or just get underfoot while completely ignoring me when I did go up there.

 

[RojoMarz]

Our hen who has never met a stranger is Houdini (she came by the name as she is constantly escaping the run.) When anyone drives up the driveway, she hops the fence and runs to greet the car. Open the garage door or shop door...make sure Houdini doesn't get shut inside. UPS has to put her out of their truck all the time.

Here is Houdini helping DH work on the truck.