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

[herechickchick]

None of mine like it but a few tolerate it. My rooster likes to sit on my shoulder but not in my lap

 

[Blisschick]

I have some that started out friendly as chicks, but as they got older, they didn't want to be held or touched. I have a few that are really hands on while they're being fed, but won't have anything to do with me otherwise. I have maybe two or three that don't mind me walking up to them and handling them or scratching their breast while they're roosting, but most would prefer to be left alone.

 

[oceanbird]

I have six RIR and we pick them up just about every day. I don't know if they love it but they don't run away and don't struggle when we are holding them- we don't have a rooster so they all crouch at our feet so they are easy to pick up.

 

[seminolewind]

Do you think it makes a difference whether they were incubator hatched or day old chicks and saw you first?

 

[nccatnip]

None of mine really care to be held. Momma banty loved being petted when setting and of course ditzy redstar doesn't mind being carried to the coop at night when she forgets where to door is but she has to roost in a tree first.

 

[ivan3]

Do you think it makes a difference whether they were incubator hatched or day old chicks and saw you first?

I'm not sure about imprinting and chickens. I do know it makes a heck of a lot of difference with turkeys (absolutely curious pests) that, as tiny poults, won't shut up if you leave the room, and as chuffing galomphers won't leave your side as you go about your chores.

We hand raised our chooks (had them in folding dog cage until coop and fence were up). They'd sit on their roosts and watch us. Either cass or I would carry each out to the dog pen in the morning and back in every evening (hold out hand and see if they'd walk over). The Black Sex link chicks would come right to our hands, the Red Sex links wouldn't complain when we'd pick them up, but the Gold Sex Links would go bonkers and have to be chased down.

The Gold Sex Links range the furthest, are the last to the coop in the evenings and are the only ones to have suffered predation (fox killed one/one stitched up after fox attack). The BSL's remain the most placid and easy going, Red's remain so-so.

None like to be picked up. However, they like to hang around, and every evening that we're able to let them do some supervised free ranging, they always spend the last 15 min. or so preening and gossiping up on the back deck next to us (the roo will sometimes hunker down and take a brief siesta between us).

The earlier the contact the better and associating Mr./Ms./Mrs. hand with being taken to sunny grass or safe cage at dusk can't hurt (but I'm with TxCR: If the roo could he'd chomp me down like a locust on wheat).

Just a couple shots of `tame' chook pack:

Grape beggathon:

Roo giving me a `sitrep' after he and the girls returned from evening patrol.

P.S. One more 200Lb. chook pointer: If you let them sit on you or your kid's head - wear a hat (these velociraptors have been known to treat eyeballs like grapes, and that eyepatch will be hard to explain...).​

 

[Equest94]

I don't think they mind so much. I had them all since they were itty-bitty chicks and have handled them daily, so I guess they became use to it; however, college started up again so I'm not home that often to spend time with them and my parents don't really do much with them other then feed and water them while I'm gone. I came home for a week because our school was giving us a "Midterm break" and my now head rooster Ginger (yeah, we thought he was going to be a little red hen) has become rather "macho" and actually ran up to me, growled, and tried to peck me! I grabbed that little sucker and hugged him tightly and just placed him in my lap and kept petting him... he started cooing and clucking... I guess he realized his mommy was back home. lol. So yeah, I'd say that my chickens like to be touched and held to a certain degree... they tolerate me (but no one else).

 

[horsewishr]

I often hand-carry mine to their tractor, so they've definitely gotten used to being held. None of them seem to mind once I've caught them. Of my four, the only one that's difficult to catch is my BR. My Australorp ALWAYS comes to visit me, and wouldn't think of running the other way when I stoop down to get her. My RIR also seems to enjoy attention.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

My B. Cochins are my lap chickens

they wait at my feet to get picked up!

everyone else I have to run after when I catch them they will put up with me!

 

[tpantali]

Most of ours are happy to be picked up and held. We cuddled them everyday when they were just little chicks. One of our Frizzles in particular loves to be held real close and will fall asleep in our arms. One day we brought her in for a bath, she had been pooped on her and she had not been able to get herself clean for several days, she was very relaxed in a hot tub of water. Then we blew her dry, during which she pooped all over the bathroom floor and down the front of me. Then she sat cuddled in a towel on top of a heating blanket with her food in front of her. If I can figure out how to get the pictures from my camera to my computer I can put a couple of that adventure on here.

One of our Americaunas hates to be touched and always has, so go figure. She is the only one who actually runs away from us; it is very entertaining!