No Progress: Is Chicken Raising Just Endless Poop Clean Up With NO Rewards?

[incrdbl]

I have hand raised my hens from the day they were born 2/12/12. They have been in my hands everyday. Everyday their strong survival instincts respond to my advances towards them by fleeing, or squat submit, or at least verbalize their concern with me picking them up. This will never change and nor should you want it to. I have had hawks fly over my head and attack my copper maran while I was standing within feet of it. These prehistoric instincts have been developed in chcikens over the milenia that they have existed and for a good reason. Many omnivores and canivores view them as a wonderful meal. I am glad they are wary of human contact for any advangtage they have towards survival means I will hopefully get to wake up to the egg song tomorrow morning. Just continue to care for them and they will return life's experiences you will enjoy eternally.

 

[Amina]

I have chickens that act like I'm about to kill them if I reach toward them holding a treat, and I have other chickens that will jump up on my lap. I have one that will jump up and perch on my arm for treats. The good news is, they tend to calm down and become friendlier when they start laying eggs.

But even with these ultra-friendly ones that will jump up on my lap or arm, if I grab them, they will scream. My friendlier ones will occasionally tolerate being touched, but it is clear that they are tolerating it, *not* enjoying it. If you touch them on the breast or the sides, that is less objectionable than touching their backs, so you might try that, but don't expect them to ever do more than tolerate it.

That's just the way it is with chickens. They are not cuddly.

All that being said, they can definitely be therapeutic, IF you have the right expectations. They are always very "in the moment" and full of energy and curiosity (something that I think we all could learn from), plus their antics are hilarious.

 

[Amina]

Also, friendliness is partly how you raise them and partly genetic. The genetic influence is more the line of chickens than the breed. It's good if you are able to ask what the parents are like. If you get chickens from a breeder, that's definitely something to ask. If from a hatchery, then it's hard to say what their line of chickens is like - you only know more or less what the bird will look like, and that it will probably be a decent layer.

 

[eviemethugh]

Reading everyone else's replies made me think of our one hen who LOVES being petted, and we are pretty sure something is wrong with her little bird brain. Ha! She is very friendly and we love her, but obviously that goes against chicken nature. And that is one out of like 130.

 

[allpeepedout]

It sounds like you are spending a lot of time with them and taking a more passive approach, which may be helpful over time. You are at a disadvantage by not raising them yourself from day one if you mostly wanted lap chickens. I think if you continue spending time, doing the treats, and not forcing them, they will eventually come around. A couple of mine, now at age 4, who would shriek bloody murder if I even thought about picking them up in previous years, are now downright mellow about everything. Chickens are not your top pick for domesticated lap pets, although some can be.

For me, rewards in addition to wonderful eggs are the "chicken therapy" of just watching them be chickens doing chicken things, seeing how thrilled and grateful they are over even the most insignificant treats, and enjoying their beauty and flock interactions in general. I appreciate their predictability and unlike a dog, they are not constantly demanding my attention.

With relatively little care and feed, chickens deliver lots of benefits on many levels. But being lap pets is not #1 what most have been bred for. Hope they eventually come around for you and that you can enjoy the process, slow as it may be.

Edited to add: I have never had one, but I guess Silkie bantams have been bred for cuddling, so those might be a better option for you than the breeds you have if you're mostly wanting a pet?

 

[aart]

Most chickens do not like to be touched. I raised my birds from egg and held them for hours every day as chicks, but they behave the same as yours now. Being able to hand feed them seems to be as good as it gets for most standard breeds. My sister has some Golden Comets that don't even squack when you pick them up, although they still prefer not to be touched.

X2

I've had the same experience....a very few will allow me to pick them up, they seem want to be picked up...but even that comes and goes, from chickhood to adulthood.

If I need to handle a bird to inspect it during the day(at night in the dark they are much easier to pick up off the roost),
I have to corner it and grab it and they scream bloody hell.

Once you get the wings held down and keep their feet from gaining purchase on anything they will at least submit.
Hold one hand under the bird capturing one wing hold the other wing against your body, then pet their head and neck, talking softly to them.

Most important is be calm yourself, if they can feel your fear/anxiety and will react with fear/anxiety.
Hold them until they calm down and submit then gently holding those wings slowly lower them to the ground,
once their feet touch the ground hold them gently in place until they again calm if possible, then release them.
That's the goal, might not happen right away, but keep trying if you want.

I have some broody chicks, never really handled them much and they won't feed form my hand, won't even come near me at 18 weeks.
I had to catch one to change out her leg band and she was not happy, but submitted to laying on her back while I change the band.
Afterwards she was a little less skittish because she had survived that terrible fate of being in human hands and now will take feed from the scoop,
and her sisters will too. Next step feeding form hand. It takes a lot of time and calm patience.

 

[Cacique500]

Maybe I'm different, but I actually enjoy cleaning the coop and doing "chicken chores"...very relaxing.

I also have two hens that will jump up on my lap and take a nap (and let me pet them), and 3 others who run helter skelter if I put my hand down to pet them. We've had all 5 since they were 3 day old chicks and they had LOTS of handling and attention. Yesterday our boss hen jumped up on my lap and actually slept for about 15 minutes - didn't open her eyes or move...pretty amazing they have that kind of trust.

I think it will get better for you...every single day one of those chickens does something that makes me laugh - super entertaining critters!

 

[herbsandspices]

We've kept a small urban flock of 4 to six over the past 6 years. We've hatched our own and raised them with lots of touch and hand feeding, but, chickens are chickens. Some are downright mean! Ours are 100% freerange, and my favorite silkie would always be waiting for me at the back door in the morning. She would follow me around and sit with me, treating me to her pleasant coos. But touching was merely tolerated. (Unfortunately she was killed by a mean chicken that we removed the same day).

I've had others that come to visit and sit next to me or peck at my rings or toenails without being called. The rest succumb to the magic trick of hand fed meal worms.

Get a dog if you want a cuddle buddy that will look in your eyes and respond when you talk. Chickens bring a different kind of peaceful enjoyment of just enjoying being close and doing their thing. But treats. Lots of healthy treats. And a sound you make that brings them running because they know you're going to give them treats. Watching chickens run always makes me smile. And that makes it worth it.

 

[HIMA]

One thing I did that helped tremendously with poop patrol was laying down an aspen pad in the bottom of the coop. These aspen pads are sold at Home Depot and Lowes and you can buy them on line in the off season, and/or if you live in an area where they dont sell them in the store. They are 100% natural aspen thats spun into pads that are meant to be used with swamp coolers. I like them because they are highly absorbant, nontoxic, and the birds poop dehydrates on them really quickly, so when cleaning tim comes along, you can pull the pad out of the coop, and the poops roll off into the trash can. When the pad gets too soiled on one side, just flip it over. My birds are happier sitting in their coop with a cushy pad rather than on a harder surface, or a wire bottom cage, or pine shavings. They come in various sizes, I use 32"x 48" and it works great right underneath their perch. They go on sale 50% off at summers end. They cost about $3.50 each, cheaper on sale. The aspen is enclosed by a netting-type fabric, so as a precaution, I fold the ends under as not to get their feet caught. Its fast, clean, and better on your lungs not to have to breathe that stuff.

 

[Toddrick]

We've kept a small urban flock of 4 to six over the past 6 years. We've hatched our own and raised them with lots of touch and hand feeding, but, chickens are chickens. Some are downright mean! Ours are 100% freerange, and my favorite silkie would always be waiting for me at the back door in the morning. She would follow me around and sit with me, treating me to her pleasant coos. But touching was merely tolerated. (Unfortunately she was killed by a mean chicken that we removed the same day).

I've had others that come to visit and sit next to me or peck at my rings or toenails without being called. The rest succumb to the magic trick of hand fed meal worms.

Get a dog if you want a cuddle buddy that will look in your eyes and respond when you talk. Chickens bring a different kind of peaceful enjoyment of just enjoying being close and doing their thing. But treats. Lots of healthy treats. And a sound you make that brings them running because they know you're going to give them treats. Watching chickens run always makes me smile. And that makes it worth it.

That is a really nice summary that mimics my experiences. I love my dogs, because they are smart and have emotions other than fear. I like my chickens because they are pretty and funny to watch.