How to catch?

[chicken gal]

I love my chickens. And I think they like me. But when they see my hands coming they run away. Is there any way to make your chickens like to be held? What breeds do you have?

 

[aggiemae]

Some chickens like to be held and others don't, I don't think the breed determines this. Our friendlies hen is Pinky Pie, our Rhode Island Red, she is also the #1 hen in the flock. She follows me around to the point that she is almost a pest and if we want to hold her all we have to do is sit down on a chair and tap the arm and she comes running for lap time. She also likes to come into the family room and sit on the kids laps and watch TV. The other RIR and our buff Orpingtons will mill around but none of them volunteer to be held. We have a Wellsummer that I have held twice since she left the brooder and both times I took her off the roost at dusk. She is the 'low hen' in the flock and she is also standoffish with the other chickens.

Remember that even if your hens don't like to be handled it is very easy to get them off the roost at dusk and dawn and most hens will let you lift them out of the nest box,so you get three chances a day to handle them, look them over and treat any medical problems. But if they are nesting I wait until after they lay (mine sing their happy song for quite a while after they lay so I always know when they've given us an egg) It's a good idea to let them know you are there before you touch them and instead of grabbing them, try to scoop them up with two hands and, of course, remember to keep them away from your face and wear gloves the first time to try to handle them when they are not expecting it. Some hens calm down right away if you just turn them on their backs and cradle them like a baby.

 

[PAchickengirl]

My son has found he can pick the chickens up when they "squat" for him. I almost stepped on one day because it squatted so closely to where I was walking.

 

[chicken gal]

My favorite chicken is my rhode island red. Her name is Ginger. But I love all my chickens just the same. Thanks aggiemae and PAchickengirl. How did your son teach them to squat?