Petting your birds and loving them

[6chickens in St. Charles]

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OMG you are so brave. How on earth did you wind up raising something as bio-laden as chickens? Must know more.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

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Whether you pet or cuddle your animals doesn't necessarily mean you love yours more than others love theirs...it just means that is the way you want to relate to your animals. It also doesn't mean your chickens are better socialized or more well-adjusted...it merely means they are more tame around humans. In my experience, a calm and happy chicken is one that spends the majority of its time developing socially within its own peer group. All my flocks have been quiet and content without any extra interaction from me....I rather like them getting to have their own life within my world, unhindered by my intrusive human presence.

Same with any animal that spends too much time in the house or with only human interaction...they seem to lose that certain something that defines their social standing within their peer group.

OK I slept on this, as I have chickens who seek human attention, and I wondered if I somehow ruined them by returning the sociable attention. So, I woke up this morning to my little hens who are THRILLED I am home on-call today, and literally all over me with cackles and happiness, as I will be patching the fence until the hospital calls me in.

Maybe chickens are not much different than any other creature, just as capable of making friends? Conversely, sometimes people reach out to animals for friendship. Koko the gorilla loved a kitten. That dogs love their human companions is indisputable. It happens. It's dawning on me that maybe this isn't such a big deal, that a chicken might be just plain friendly, maybe in the bigger picture of the whole cosmos, its just a matter of noticing it exists?

Yesterday a baby birdie called up at me from my front doorstep, so I picked it up before any of my kids could accidentally trample the poor thing. It's parent was closeby, so I struggled to get it OFF my hand/perch and onto my fencepost, as the parent attempted to continue feeding it while still on me, and I thought, "I don't have time to be a perch today". The baby bird wanted ME, not the fence post. It was adorable. A poultry breeder might say I have a dominant St. Francis gene:

 

[Hopefulloflove]

When we went to pick up our chicks, we had them in a box. They were day old chicks, and of them 4 were silkies...One of the silkies, a blue one, I held in my hand against my chest the whole drive home. I have continued to hold her and she will sleep in my arms...no food, no treats, just love...I like it that way too!

I think they are completely capable of love just as any other animal...It just depend on how you treat them and how you feel about them! LOVE LOVE LOVE me chickens!

 

[spaceranger]

I am raising a bantam cochin indoors as my momma hen attempted to kill it just after hatching now I'm a great believer in natural selection but having just lost my own pregnancy it seemed to me that Polly needed a momma just as much as i needed a baby! and so now 3 weeks on she lives in an old dog crate with a nice grippy floor has loads of time to free range round my home and garden in her converted playpen as the others still don't accept her/him (probably him)

I know he/she will have to transition one day as i doubt he could live happiliy indoors repressing his innate chickenyness so I try every day to get him to socialise with some sucess!

My other hens are all cuddly they will hop up onto my knees tolerate a pet them jump off to do important chicken type things

 

[RoosterRidge]

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I disagree. I love mine as much as I can, have 1 on 1 time with each one every night, all 36 of them. They all have names and each one knows their own name. For example if they are in a crowd I call out for a specific bird and snap my fingers, that bird will come to me and sit on my lap cooing at me while I pet her. Not all do this but most of mine will. Another example, I was in NYC for a week and had never been away from my birds for more then just overnight. While I was gone my SO told me they were soooo quiet and depressed they just layed around with their heads hung low.... When I got home (no treats in hand) Set one foot on the back patio and each and every one of those birds made a b line right for me. I sat on the grass and they all crowded around me, fighting for a spot in my lap! SO I feel they love me just as much as I love them. You can never love a chicken too much!

Mine are the same way... I love the last line... You can never love a chicken too much...

 

[SteveBaz]

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Gale65,

Now this is an real honest answer for one not likeing a pet for a specific reason, germs. Now your kids are not germaphobic o are they? But I see only a monkey see monkey do. I do think if you were the touchy feely person to your pets your children may be too. I feel my kids and grand kids re interested in th things the family is. Righ now theentire famly lov the birds and so, the kids follow along too.

Just a point,

Steve

 

[spacecowgirl]

6chickens in St. Charles :

Quote:
Whether you pet or cuddle your animals doesn't necessarily mean you love yours more than others love theirs...it just means that is the way you want to relate to your animals. It also doesn't mean your chickens are better socialized or more well-adjusted...it merely means they are more tame around humans. In my experience, a calm and happy chicken is one that spends the majority of its time developing socially within its own peer group. All my flocks have been quiet and content without any extra interaction from me....I rather like them getting to have their own life within my world, unhindered by my intrusive human presence.

Same with any animal that spends too much time in the house or with only human interaction...they seem to lose that certain something that defines their social standing within their peer group.

OK I slept on this, as I have chickens who seek human attention, and I wondered if I somehow ruined them by returning the sociable attention. So, I woke up this morning to my little hens who are THRILLED I am home on-call today, and literally all over me with cackles and happiness, as I will be patching the fence until the hospital calls me in.

Maybe chickens are not much different than any other creature, just as capable of making friends? Conversely, sometimes people reach out to animals for friendship. Koko the gorilla loved a kitten. That dogs love their human companions is indisputable. It happens. It's dawning on me that maybe this isn't such a big deal, that a chicken might be just plain friendly, maybe in the bigger picture of the whole cosmos, its just a matter of noticing it exists?

Yesterday a baby birdie called up at me from my front doorstep, so I picked it up before any of my kids could accidentally trample the poor thing. It's parent was closeby, so I struggled to get it OFF my hand/perch and onto my fencepost, as the parent attempted to continue feeding it while still on me, and I thought, "I don't have time to be a perch today". The baby bird wanted ME, not the fence post. It was adorable. A poultry breeder might say I have a dominant St. Francis gene:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25976_cedar_waxwing_baby_aug_29_2011.jpg​

Wow!! I've never had a wild bird get anywhere near me! What an amazing experience!

Glad you captured it on camera.

 

[Atrayu]

I don't know why certain animals bond with us or with each other. My experience dictates that it just happens and I as a Native American, we celebrate that relationship we have with other beings. I don't think there is any right or wrong to it. It is pretty amazing to be a part of it or witness it. Just like we get along with certain types of people or have a bond or are drawn to a certain type of animal/pet, there are connections that can't really be explained. All creatures can teach us something about ourselves and about what we value, if we observe and are open to learning.

One of my Gold Star hens, Chickitita, has developed this close bond with our female Blue Heeler named Sydney. She spends a good part of the day away from the flock and following our dog around. She doesn't have any social problems with the other hens and is not at the bottom of the pecking order at all, but she chooses for some reason to just be around Sydney. In fact, the other day, some wild turkeys came on to the property and Sydney (who's job it is to keep other critters out) chased after them barking along the way. Chickitita followed, clucking away as if she was helping Sydney. I can't explain this bond or why it happens, but I feel it is gift.

I guess for me, there is a sacredness to whatever bond we have with each other or with whatever creature.
Don't mean to sound to religious or spiritual, it is just a perspective and way I was brought up.

The Lakota people say "Mitakuye Oyasin" meaning, we are all related.

 

[pengimama]

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I agree with you

and it is a beautiful thing!

 

[gale65]

Thanks for the replies to my post. Yes it's hard for me. My husband suggested chickens years ago and I resisted for quite a while. I don't even buy regular eggs at the store. I only use egg beaters or pasteurized shell eggs. But I don't want my kids to miss out on having chickens (we do live on a livestock farm after all) because of my irrational fears. My kids are not germaphobic at all. I always stress to them that the way I am is not normal and germs are not something they need to freak out over. They do wash their hands after using the bathroom, before eating and when coming in from outside. Basically the "normal" times to wash. They play with the dog and cat and put their hands right on their faces and worry not a lick about it. We also have rabbits and the kids clean out the litter boxes without worrying about it. When we got the chickens there were out in the brooder every day picking them up and letting them eat from their hands. Since they got bigger they aren't as interested in them but my son has a favorite and he will pet her. I have done my best not to pass my fears onto them. They scoff at me when I worry about something outside and I encourage it (I don't exactly *encourage* it but I accept it and don't correct them or anything).

My oldest has food allergies and there are all the studies about germs and allergies, but at the time she was little, I wasn't like this (and despite this problem I am still the worlds messiest housekeeper-believe me there's no shortage of germs in our house). I only got this way when I had my 2nd dd and my younger two have no known food allergies. I actually raised chickens in my past life about 20 yrs ago and even raised meat chickens and though I didn't kill and process, I did cut and bag them and back then, never thought a thing about it.

My doctor encouraged me to take this step and although it's extremely hard, I have managed so far. I'm determined to do as much of the chores in the chicken pen as possible so I do the feeding (with dh's help for the lifting), watering and yep, I scoop poop from the sand. Wearing gloves and a dust mask of course and I take a full-on shower right after. But I do it and I survive somehow. I don't take medication (my doctor prescribed lexapro but I couldn't get myself to take it-I was worried about side effects and gaining weight-another of my 'problem' obsessions) but I do take some natural remedies and have deep meditative breathing down to an art and I manage. I've even done some yoga to help with the anxiety.

I'm not as bad as some. I know of people who won't even have pets (ours stay outside but that's not my choice-my husband doesn't want pets in the house) and wouldn't even think of having chickens. Every time I get anxious I think about all of you and your kids and grandkids and how they touch and hold and are fine, and it helps tremendously.