POLL: do your chickens like to be touched or held?

The majority of my flock pecks at our feet and wait to be picked up. A few don't like it at all. I pick up the roosters and carry them around at times just to remind and reinforce that I am head rooster in the hen house.

 

I have a few that do still like being held or petting. Most run from me and I have to chase them, once I catch them they settle down, but I don't like chasing them so much so I just sit with them and let them come to me.

 

We have one rooster who came to us very used to being held...he will ride on your shoulder, but he does not like being picked up. We have a hen now who doesn't mind being picked up...she will ride around with my son while he holds her and rides a bike...but the majority of them hate any human contact at all, and, at the most, tolerate it.

 

None of my girls enjoy being picked up. But if I sit on a log in their run, some will jump on my knee and tolerate a little pat or two, if I go slow. I'm always envious of people who have snuggly "lap chickens".

 

I've come to think that chickens only tolerate humans because we provide feed and treats. Some of ours walk up to investigate what we have and a few will eat out of our hands given the right circumstance and food. The DW's littleman will walk up and stand on your shoe but acts insulted if we pick him up. Ive said more than once that if they weighed 200 pounds they would eat us like a cricket.

 

It varies greatly by chicken, even if they were raised in the same environment, which I find very interesting.
One of my girls tolerates being picked up, but I don't think she enjoys it. Another likes to jump into my lap every time I sit down, and will stay there forever, but if I try to pick her up, she runs screeching.

 

I used to have a couple that liked to be held. They would fly up onto my shoulder. I've handled the new ones gently but they don't much care to be picked up. My new OEGB roo will go to sleep if I hold him and scratch his back but he doesn't care to be captured.

 

I have one that loves being petted and hugged and loved on. Another that wouldn't tolerate any human contact at all until she started laying and now she gets in my lap, talks to me, and likes for me to rub the back of her neck. The other three will sit in my lap and tolerate a few pats, maybe, if they're in the mood. But they all come running when they see me because they know I'm the treat lady!