Of all the chickens I've owned, I've only had one that I could pick up & pet, and she's in the run right now with 4 more, all born the same day, 9+ weeks ago. They're Buff Orpingtons, bought from the local Southern States co-op @ a couple days old. Supposed to all be pullets, but one cockerel snuck in there. From the beginning, this one little pullet, who I've been calling Sandy, has seemed friendly, to the point that she'll actually walk up to me on the little deck just outside the pop door, waiting for my attention. Kinda neat, actually. There's one other pullet that's showing signs of coming around. The cockerel is a nipper, any chance he gets; gotta figure a way to get him out of that.
The lot of them like to squeeze onto that little deck at bedtime, rather than go on in to the coop. I've waited 'til there's just enough light to still see, and finally have to go out and literally stuff them all through the door; getting old quick, 'specially in the rain. The run's fairly secure, with netting over the top, so they'd probably be fine overnight, but I'm not inviting trouble.
