How do you get your chickens to be friendlier?

[ChickensAreSweet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=55921
Here is noodleroo's way (a fellow BYC'er)

 

[cassie]

I think breed is the most important thing. We practically trip over ours when we go in the pen and I have never worked with them at all. They are constantly underfoot. We have Brahmas, Buff Orpingtons, and Salmon Favorolles.

 

[Attila the Hen]

When I first got my hens at 4 weeks old I had to keep them in the bathtub in the house. I would sit with them and they would sit in my lap and sit on my head and my shoulders. Now they are grown I can pick them up but I have to do it firmly and with confidence or they fight me. If pick one up and sit down and place it on my lap, I can take my hands away and they will stay a short while.

I believe in treating animals with respect. If they don't like to be picked up I won't do it often. But I do need to be able to handle them from time to time. I just nursed a poorly hen and she seems to be friendlier because of the attention.

I got the rooster later on and he was large when I got him although still a juvenile. He started off trying to bite me. I researched how to address this and was told not to wave sticks at him or anything because it would make him aggressive. What I ended up doing was picking him up every night to put him in the coop. At first I wore gloves and a long sleeve shirt. Sometimes I would sit on the bench with him in my lap and stroke his wattles (?) and tell him what a magnificent creature he was. After a few weeks I didn't need the gloves. He knew I wouldn't hurt him except for his pride when I kissed him on top of the head.

 

[turnleftdad]

I have 3 rir and 2 buff orps. The three rir are mean to my wife and son but love me to death, they come running when I go out to the coop, I can pick them up pet them they jump on my arm, but if I let them out to free range they attack the dogs and the buffs. The buffs come running when you open the back door follow you around and seem to like most everybody and even my grandkids can pick them up. These are my first chickens and over the past few months Ive been amazed at the diferent personalities of all my girls. Im also amazed at how attached you get to them. I think my wife and son think Ive gone over the edge.

 

[Peppypap]

My chickens hang out with me, but if I try to pick one up they run. My Americuna just happens to Poo every time I pick her up

, my Black Star kicks alot

, my EE is impossobile to catch

, my NHR pecks my lip and makes it bleed.

They only one that cuddles is my Banty cochin.

 

[wbruder17]

Bobblehead, my polish crested rooster follows me around and heels like a dog. I pick him up and hold him like a baby and he falls asleep immediatly. Even starts to snore a bit. He loves to have his waddle stroked as well. He's always been like this and used to fly into my lap for "petsies" when he was young.

My Ameraucana, Sophie, was always aloof as a chickie. Now, she lays every day and will jump onto the perch behind my coop chair and wait for me to get her. Its like a ritual. She then sits happily in my lap, cooing and stretching her wings and feathers for me to rub her. She gets very relaxed and wont get up until I set her down. Sometimes she will run around and jump up on the coop again, as if asking for me to do it again!

My Austrolorpe, Henwyn, will come running across the yard when I say "henwyn, what's this?" Because that means im going to give ner worms. Squaks and squirms like the dickens if I pick her up tho, and she's been a favorite since a baby.