No Love

[JanetMarie]

In my experience the hens like you if you have food to give them, just like when the roosters find food for them. Roosters make better pets than hens depending on the breed, and individual personality.

Roosters like attention. My current buff Orpington rooster begs to be picked up and held. I had another one that was a wonderful pet. A Production Red rooster that I had previously liked being held. My rosecomb Rhode Island Red rooster loved to be picked up and and would fall asleep in my arms.

The only hens that I've had that liked to be held are the buff Orpingtons, but only certain ones.

 

[Tati]

@ shortgrass: When chickens talk, it is an expression of content, even basic happiness. They also might want to share their thoughts with you, whatever they are. (Such as: "I love it when you come to visit. Why don't you visit more often?" or "You should have seen the big bug I just found, chopped up, and ate with delight.")--When chickens sing, it is an expression of high emotional happiness.

Chickens have a whole variety of vocal expressions. They all have different meanings. They can express excitement. So the typical "guck-a-guck-a-guck-aaaaaaa" (for instance, after the accomplishment of laying an egg). They can express discontent with short, hacking clucking. And they have a variety of other, differentiated noises to express other emotions and purposes, from interacting with other chickens (or other species) to scaring away imagined or real dangers to screaming loud for help. As an ESL-writer, I am not familiar with the English vocabulary for the different sounds that chickens make. So I cannot describe them and their meanings any more detailed.

Yet, growing up with chickens (and later with cats), I speak some chicken (and cat). So my translations from "Chicken" into English might include some fantasy but are not totally unfounded.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have learned a fair amount of chicken language as well, from observing them, vocal as well as body language, they are individuals with their own thoughts and emotions. My particular favorite vocalizations are when an older confident hens slowly walks up to me muttering her bok, bok, bok, at me, as to say what are you doing and what do you have for me, I have many chickens who have chosen to befriend me without my handling of them and they are my favorites.

 

[Tati]

@ oldhenlikesdogs: Maybe someone should write a chicken-language dictionary, at some time.

I think the friendliness of chickens depends on the breed and/or the handling and/or the treats and/or the individual chickens.

When I was a child (a preschooler), I was able to teach our chickens the command "duck duck!", with no great effort, having them spread their "elbows" for easier pick-up. I have tried with the chickens we have now. Not a chance!

 

[shortgrass]

@ oldhenlikesdogs:  Maybe someone should write a chicken-language dictionary, at some time.  

I think the friendliness of chickens depends on the breed and/or the handling and/or the treats and/or the individual chickens.

When I was a child (a preschooler), I was able to teach our chickens the command "duck duck!", with no great effort, having them spread their "elbows" for easier pick-up. I have tried with the chickens we have now. Not a chance!

I KNOW you're on to something there... I was like that as a yourh as well. Now my kids can just walk right up to any chicken they want, and they squat forvthem... They like to call it "bowing for them" lol. We also have guinea fowl that my eldest can just cart around, and they come flying when my youngest calls for them, but nothing to do with ME, and I'm the one who feeds and raises them!

Kids have a language all their own when it comes to the animals

 

[Chicken Strut]

I wanted to hear if anyone has had this issue. I have 6 pullets. Born May 5th this year, all 6. I have a Black Copper Marans, a Cuckoo Marans, a Barred Rock, an Orpington, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, and an Easter Egger. I bought them at one day old.

To change the topic slightly - I have 7 pullets, exactly 1 day older than yours, and I also brought them home at 1 day old. They are slowly coming out of that don't-you-dare-touch-me phase and it does seem to be related to maturity now that they are approaching point-of-lay.

Do you have any laying yet? I have one sweet little girl, my Dominique, who looks like it could be any day now but I haven't heard the egg song yet and the nesting boxes are always empty.

Just curious on how it's going for you. You said you have a SLW. I think my GLW won't be laying for another 6 weeks - based on how pale and undeveloped her comb and wattles are. Her temperament is shy and she is at the bottom of the pecking order. My other breeds, in the order I predict they will lay, are White Rock (head hen now and very pecky, including towards me sometimes!), Easter Eggers (2, getting more friendly by the day), Black Australorp (a sweetheart), and finally my Light Brahma (standoffish).

 

[Arwenelfmaiden]

...

To change the topic slightly - I have 7 pullets, exactly 1 day older than yours, and I also brought them home at 1 day old. They are slowly coming out of that don't-you-dare-touch-me phase and it does seem to be related to maturity now that they are approaching point-of-lay.

Do you have any laying yet? I have one sweet little girl, my Dominique, who looks like it could be any day now but I haven't heard the egg song yet and the nesting boxes are always empty.

Just curious on how it's going for you. You said you have a SLW. I think my GLW won't be laying for another 6 weeks - based on how pale and undeveloped her comb and wattles are. Her temperament is shy and she is at the bottom of the pecking order. My other breeds, in the order I predict they will lay, are White Rock (head hen now and very pecky, including towards me sometimes!), Easter Eggers (2, getting more friendly by the day), Black Australorp (a sweetheart), and finally my Light Brahma (standoffish).

Hello there!
Thank you for your great post! Your girls sound lovely & loved. Do you have photos of them?
On my nutty girls, Clover my BO & Chick Pea the wicked leader-BR, I think are close

 

[Arwenelfmaiden]

Continued-

I think those two are close to laying. Posting pictures so you can tell me, maybe?

Everyone said to open their nest boxes & now they are full of poop. No eggs, yet. Are any of yours laying, btw?

 

[Arwenelfmaiden]

Continued-

I think those two are close to laying. Posting pictures so you can tell me, maybe?

Everyone said to open their nest boxes & now they are full of poop. No eggs, yet. Are any of yours laying, btw?

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[oldhenlikesdogs]

That does look like it should be laying.