how else can i make my chickens love me???

[greenyardsmith]

definately sit in the coop and go slow with contact yes bribe them with treats I also from their very first day I haatch them handle and talk to them. we keep them inside for first two weeks they get more attention and human contact that way... Also from birth up I "chirp chick chick chick" while I am refilling water and food and giveing treats they seem to come to think its my chicken dialect lol so whenever I enter coop they come when I say it even before they know if I have food. This wanting a relationship with chickens may seem weird BUT IT IS THE CHEAPEST therapy EVER!!!! I get lost in time when I sit in the garden coop and it is a major stress reliver to watch their antics.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

@greenyardsmith- I could not agree more regarding the "cheap therapy" (or is it Cheep therapy???). These funny, feathered people keep me laughing, and provide a bounty of learning opportunities for me, on a daily basis!
Great advice!
Bright Blessings

 

[gryeyes]

I have a Black Australorp, named Matilda, as part of my colorful flock. She is very friendly, chats with me a great deal, and was the first pullet to squat for ME (not the rooster). She will follow me around the yard, sometimes wander off to do things, then come running back to see what I'm up to right then.

She likes to be around me, but doesn't necessarily want to be picked up much. That's okay. I like them gathering around the chair I keep in the run.... now that I let them free range in the back yard, they will gather around whatever chair in which I sit. After a period of time, one or another of the pullets will just jump up onto my knee, or onto the arm of the chair. I like that it's up to THEM to get closer, that I'm not trying too hard to create lap chickens.

I do feed them shredded mozzarella cheese out of my hands, for a special treat, at least twice a week. Otherwise, they get their treats tossed into the run for them.

Matilda likes to keep close. She has a LOT to say about.... whatever she's talking about.

I talk to them all, and call them all by name. They don't all come to their names, but Matilda is one that does.

 

[missychicky]

Yes it is defenitly true. My two black austrolorps are the sweetest, Most talkative, freindliest of the bunch!

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Thanks Grey Eyes and MissChickie! I had a feeling it was true about them!
Now you mention it, all 6 of them seem verrry chatty!
I'm so glad we chose these sweet, pretty black chooks!
Blessings!

 

[kayri]

Our barred rocks were/are the friendliest ever, with the australop second. Our EE's have also been very curious and will come running, jump on my shoulder and generally hang around. I try to get them as chicks and hand raise them. I think they like the fact that I bring them food, but Adele our BR likes me as well.

 

[noodleroo]

Rachel'sFlock :

@greenyardsmith- I could not agree more regarding the "cheap therapy" (or is it Cheep therapy???). These funny, feathered people keep me laughing, and provide a bounty of learning opportunities for me, on a daily basis!
Great advice!
Bright Blessings

yep, what y'all said.​

 

[Qi Chicken]

I think the chickens will love treats regardless and will like whoever brings them. But for the chickens really to like YOU I think you have to sit and be with them. I try to go in there most mornings or nights and clean the coop and fluff the shavings and then I sit on the floor (with my coffee or beer! the beer is at night of course) with my legs straight out. They will gradually all drift over and many of them will line up roosting on my legs. I usually have 2 or three on each leg. Out of 16 there are about 3 -4 that really love to be held and pet. A few more tolerate the pets but don't like to be picked up really. And a few don't like anything at all.

What is interesting to me is that the barred rocks HATED to be picked up in the brooder and the Black australorps were the same. They FREAKED and so were seldom held. Now that they are on more equal terms they often come over. The BA are much softer than the other chickens, I don't know why. The EE are all friendly too. The welsummers are not and the rooster is especially freaked (but that is probably my fault) The buff orps are better but they have always been very skittish and they do NOT like to be pet although they are starting to come over a little more. That is surprising to me as everyone said they were supposed to be the friendliest.

I think out of all of them 3 of them really like ME. A few others feel that I'm a comfortable piece of furniture and others think I'm a big kind of strange chicken. A few think I'm a hawk!

I went out tonight to clean etc. The kids were helping but they stress me out in there so when I finished the cleaning they went in the house and I just sat with the chickens. SO relaxing. I was 40 minutes late for bedtime (no clock in the coop!) DH was getting a little steamed as the game was on............!

 

[funfeatheredfeet]

My family and friends call me the Happy, Hippy, Chicken Lady! I am crazy about my chickens. I have only had them about 2 months and I have quite a collection of Barred-Rocks, Silkies, Black Sex Links & RIR's (hens & roos)...the RIR's are only 7 weeks old. Anyway, they all love me. I have a habit of singing "It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood....(you know, Mr. Roger's Song), well, I sing it everytime I go to see the chickens (morning, noon or night) and I, also, holler....."Hi Girls, Hi Girls!!". I ALWAYS have a RED plastic Folger's coffee can with me with a bunch of either scratch, cracked corn or fruit, some kind of treat in it. They hear me singing or hollering "Hi Girls!"....oh, my, looks like their skirts are in the air and they are running break neck speed to be the first to me. The will almost jump into my arms, I can hardly walk they are so on me....standing on my feet, if I sit they will crowd my knees. My girlfriends, who do not have chickens, call me to come to lunch (which is just so they can go out to my backyard and enjoy the chickens!) An older lady that I met told me about the RED Folgers coffee can and it truely does work. I had a red work gloves on one day....they just saw the red and came running! So, definitely, get yourself a red plastic coffee can, you won't believe it! And, sing.....I do it when I clean the coop and pens, it is wonderful Therapy, will put everyone in a great mood! Your chickens will love you big time!!! Have fun, I definitely do! (Gotta laugh...my daughter's new fiancee happened to walk down to check out my coop on Sat., he just so happened to walk up on me and there I was singing and dancing with my chickens in the pen!!! I just about died....I imagine he was wondering "what kind of family am I getting into!" I just died laughing!!!!hahahah)

 

[ChksontheRun]

I just love to spend time with them. I have one BR, on BA, and one BO that seem to love ME not just the food. They are always the ones that fly onto my lap when I sit in the run--within minutes. The BO is a cuddler and she nestles in the crook of my arm. The BA are by far the most chatty. The 2 roosters (Delaware and BO) really dont want to have much to do with me, and the Partidge Rocks are scared to death of me. Interesting personality differences.