PDA - Poultry Displays of Affection? I want to hear them!

[simplyscrambled]

I just read this term in my online reading of all things chicken. Honestly, chickens have passed all other creatures as my pet of choice!

Chickens don't rub against your legs, or lick you: what kinds of displays of affection do your chickens do?

 

[smokeater413]

They give me eggs!

 

[Mourningdove]

mine love to pick my sweet coat! They love the fuzzies!

 

[jenni2142]

I have a sebright roo that will rub his comb under my chin, he also dances for me when he wants picked up. One hen runs to me only when I don't have treats wanting picked up and snuggled. I get the gentle pecks from some too. A few perch on me and almost all talk to me, some nicer than others.

 

[simplyscrambled]

My hen was pecking gently at my shirt yesterday while I gardened, but I found out it was because I had those little green round weed seeds stuck on me, and she thought it was food!

Yep, smokeater, eggs are definitely a token of affection!

Jenni, I had this picture in my head of a rooster hopping from one foot to the other in front of you, waiting to be picked up! I love the idea of him rubbing his comb on your chin! Did you hatch these and/or handle them from day 1 to make them so tame?

 

[jenni2142]

yep I hatched him myself last sept and he was in the house until about 2 weeks ago. He actually wrestles with my son(13), flogging and carefully attacking clothing, it is so funny to watch. If he is grumpy all I have to do is compliment his wittle wattles and crooked wittle comb and he calms instantly(for me). he is my wittle wooster. He will also bend his head when I ask if he wants comb kisses, if he wants them.

 

[Attack Chicken]

My big sweet roo just loves me all to pieces. He will dance if he wants to be picked up. He will jump up on the couch and sleep with me. He will stick his head out if he wants kisses. He's just a big ol' cuddle bug.

 

[babsh]

We have a barred rock that follows my daughter around and gently pecks her legs until she picks her up. She loves to be held. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. Maybe it's because my daughter used to rock her to sleep when she was a chick.

 

[chickaddict]

Up until three weeks ago I had 3 rir's they were 1 yr olds. One morning I woke up to a back yard full of feathers and one surviving bird. Hazel was always friendly, they all were. Entering my back yard meant 3 girls running at breakneck speeds just to say hi. When she lost her sisters to raccoons, Hazel started to crawl into my lap everytime I sat down in the yard. She would settle in and then start to "talk". Every time one of my neighbors would come outside she would greet them at the fence. I figured she was a very lonely girl and started to latch onto any life form she could find. Telling her heartbreaking story to anyone who would listen.

4 days before losing Hilda and Mert I had purchased day old chicks, 2 buff orpingtons and 2 black australorps. We had a few 80 degree days last week so I took the little ones (growing very quickly) outside. Hazel cackled at them a little and ate their food, other than that she couldn't have cared less. She wasn't mean she just didn't care. Meanwhile her strong attachment toward people continued. If I'm in the back yard she's right with or on me. She loves to sit om my shoulder and "talk". She speaks in very low tones when she does this.

Yesterday morning I went on a chicken search. I know bringing on new older chickens can be a challenge. Not that I"ve ever done it before but I visit this site a lot and am learning loads of helpful info. Besides, Hazel is breaking my heart and I"m feeling brave so my cousin and I set off on a Sunday road trip through the back roads of CT in search of adult chickens. Stopping at a feed and grain store in hopes of finding a "Foothill Trader"(a farm county paper) we meet an extremely friendly store owner who happens to know a couple who are being forced to "lose" their chickens due to zoning laws. He gives us directions and tells us to mention that he sent us.

What we are greeted with is also heartbreaking, but telling that part of the story would make a very long post even longer so i"ll save it. By 3p.m. on Sunday I was headed home with 4 - 1yr old buff orpingtons.

I don't really know how to describe the last 24hrs. I took 4 birds from an overcrowded and muddy coop (3 girls were missing feathers and 1 of them seemed to be the flock punching bag) and set them lose in a fenced in 1/4 acre back yard. All 4 went running to Hazel. There was no fighting or displays of aggression on either side. The new girls stayed very close together and explored and ate their way through the back yard. Hazel came to sit in my lap. She wasn't talking, just sitting. When nighttime approached and coop time was here Hazel walked to the coop. The new girls weren't so willing to give up their new found freedom it took a few minutes and quite a bit of sweat on my part to get them in there.

What happened next was like something out of a Disney film and I still find it hard to believe it happened. Hazel jumps on top of the nesting box and starts to cackle (not the right word but the best I could think of) this goes on for a good 15 minutes. The orps are all standing on the floor of the coop looking up at her. My husband and I are watching this and more than a little scared but decide to go in and allow them to work it out. I came outside an hour later to check on them and found 5 birds sleeping in a row.

Today was in many ways a minor miracle for me and my girls. Everyone is laying eggs where they are supposed to and hazel showed them all the good yard spots for bugs and bathing. Hazel still runs to greet whoever enters the back yard and she still came to sit in my lap today but the visit is much shorter, she has better things to do and doesn't need to follow me like glue anymore. At some point in the afternoon two of the new orps let me pet them, only 2 quick pets, but it is a start.

WHOEVER SAID THAT A DOG IS MANS BEST FRIEND - NEVER OWNED A CHICKEN!!!!!!!

 

[simplyscrambled]

What a softie, that roo is!! It makes me laugh thinking of your roo and your name 'Attack Chicken' ! Roosters are SO beautiful, and I've never had any experience with one since I can't have one, so for me it's something between being afraid of them, and wanting the zoning to change so I can find a big cuddlebug too!

babsh, that's quite a wonderful picture, your daughter rocking a baby chick to sleep~

Until I came here, I never thought of chickens liking to be held at all.

chickaddict, thank you for sharing! Wow. Hazel is an old soul chicken, if I've ever heard of one!

I was almost anxious reading your story, expecting flying feathers when you introduced all those new hens...what a happy ending!

I love these stories, and learning a whole side of chickens that I seriously never expected or knew about. I've had chickens for years, but I just went out and fed and watered them, gathered eggs, but never really tried to interact with them~ you might say my eyes are being opened!

The newest 2 hens, I held them just a couple of times in the brooder, but I was still in the mindset of 'livestock'. Now, as young laying chickens, they're certainly much more bold about ducking under me for a bug, and getting in the way of my hands as I weed, and eating a worm or two out of my palm, and my old lady hen stands back, not quite sure, watching us.

I'm beginning to pet the young ones on the back or stroke them a couple of times, when they're next to me. I'm not sure how tame they'll get, now that they're a year.

More stories!! These are just GREAT! Thank you to everyone that's shared so far~ they're making my day!