Petting hens

[chefgian]

I am a newbie chicken owner...I've had chickens since March of 2010. It is by far the best decision I have ever made. I hand raised my first three, held them a lot and got them used to human contact. I still have one of them (a RIR maybe?) that my niece lovingly named KFC. I gave away the rooster and sold the silver seabright, bought some seramas and an easter egger,lost the easter egger, sold some seramas, got a golden laced wyandot and a salmon faverole. A few months later, got some more seramas and frizzles, traded some seramas for 2 easter eggers. All of my chickens were social with people except the easter eggers. They had never had human contact (they were 4 months old when I got them). KFC started laying late July or August and started this odd behavior. When I would go into the coop to retrieve the egg, she would crouch down and push her wings back a little. It took me a few times to realize she wanted to be pet (so adorable). A few months later my salmon faverole started laying. Although she didn't have much contact before with me, she started the same behavior. After I brought home the frizzles, one of them would do the same thing. I currently have 11 outside and 8 inside. 1 RIR?, 1 Golden laced wyandot, 1 salmon faverole, 3 serama hens, 2 serama roosters, 2 easter eggers, 3 frizzles and 6 serama babies (hatched on Christmas Eve). I have the most beautiful variety of brown eggs, white eggs, and blue/green eggs of various sizes. I am in love and I hope with time, more of my chickens will crouch down to be pet!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Most hens will do this once they reach laying age. They think you are their rooster and are waiting for the rooster to mount them. I usually just pat the hen on the back and send her on her way.

 

[chefgian]

Okay...I like my version better. lol. I promise I will not be mounting any hens in the near future!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Quote:
Yeah, best to leave that job to the rooster.

By the way!

 

[chefgian]

Thank you!

 

[HetaChick]

LOL.

My significant other calls my chicken KFC….

…and her babies KFC Juniors…. XDDD

My hen displays that behavior towards me as well though haha, but I guess you can look at it as they respect you too, or are submissive to you. Hens will run away and put up a struggle against roosters they do not accept as dominant.

 

[chefgian]

I have only been able to come up with names for two of my 19 chickens. Both are Seramas. Bella and Rocky.

 

[HetaChick]

Well… My signature pretty much says it XD I have a hen named Chicken and my baby chick's name is Aiko (if it's a girl) and maybe Aidan or something like that if it's a boy. I haven't named my hen's chicks because they go to my friend

Still I'm awful at naming, once I can have a full flock though I think I'll name them funny things or something people would laugh at.

 

[chefgian]

To be absolutely honest there are two reasons I have not named them. One, because I can't come up with good names and two, because I can't seem to remember when I have named them what their names were. lol so I gave up.

 

[GardenGal]

Sound like you're doing a great job! I was surprised when our hens went submissive on me - I noticed it happened after we re-homed the roosters, don't know if that was a coincidence. One good thing, it makes them really easy to catch