raising people oriented chickens

[mdbokc]

We raised our 10 Buff Orps in a box in the laundry room. They were handled often (from the top) and just talked to as there was always a lot of activity in there. All 10 of them are very friendly and easy to handle as adults. I also have 2 RIR raised in the same group and they are the ones with the tendency to be skittish as adults. I think it was just a whole lot of contact and hearing our voices as the laundry room is also off the family room. So we were always nearby.

 

[patricium]

Yes, I noticed mine would get nervous if you reached in from above to pick them up, but they're fine if you scoop them up from underneath. I think the looming hand awakens their "run from predator" instincts.

I think another variable is if they get imprinted on humans soon after hatching. The second batch I got (from MyPetChicken) was way friendlier right from the start than the first batch from McMurray. Maybe chicks from smaller hatcheries are more likely to have some interaction with humans at a very early age. The 3 Red Stars in particular seemed very human-bonded right away - they would always come over to see what was going on when there was a hand or a face in view. I spent quite a lot of time talking to them and playing with them in the first 5 weeks, and I think that helped a lot to get them used to me.

But personality and/or sex does often trump breed generalities. Now (at 8 weeks), the Red Stars don't like being picked up much, but they like to be nearby. Two of the 4 Buff Brahmas will hop in my lap, even while they're free ranging. The other two not so often. The Barred Rock, recently discovered to be rooster, likes to be near but not to be picked up so much. Unless it's at night and I'm putting him back on the roost after he got pushed off. Then he grabs my fingers and doesn't want to let go.

 

[faykokoWV]

ok, so far it sounds like part of it is just luck of the draw, part of it is the way you handle them, and part of it is time.

I may have to modifiy my brooder, maybe start with a box the first couple of days and cut a flap I can open in the side to pick them up, then graduate to the bigger one.

 

[wombat]

I think breed is part of it. Orpingtons are generally very people-friendly. Our Golden Comet are very friendly as well.

Some of it is individual personality, some of it's environment, some of it is what *you* do.

We started right off with hand feeding. The chicks were frightened of this huge strange hand showing up in their little box, but if we held very still, soon they realized that the hand brought food.

I've noticed that if we don't have time to spend picking up birds, hand feeding treats, etc, they get a little bit less trusting and need to be won back ... so I would say that consistency helps a lot as well.

Many of ours will come running when called, because they have come to expect peanuts. They'll mug guests from behind if they can see into a pocket while someone is sitting in a lawn chair ... might be a peanut in there!

My 7 year old girl has a golden comet she calls her "stunt chicken." She can carry it to the top of her playground slide and it will ride down in her lap, and launch itself into the air at the bottom. I thought she was tormenting the poor thing, but it will run around to the back of the slide with her and wait to be picked up. Craziest thing I ever saw from a critter! She routinely begs to let her favorite sleep in her bed with her. So far, that's not been allowed, but I keep expecting a smuggling operation one of these evenings.

 

[faykokoWV]

you've got to get that on video tape!!!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

my golden comet is amazingly friendly also! My latest batch has a nice brahma... my EE's are notoriously nasty and are completely terrified of me... I am a vegetarian! I don't even EAT chicken!!!

 

[Kieyamama]

wombat -You really *must* post a video of the "stunt chicken"!!