Rhodie likes having her wattles stroked!?!?

[epeloquin]

Okay, I have three BRs and three Rhodies. My Rhodies have always been very aloof and have never likes being picked up. One of them stays away from people like the plague! Another one (Chico) who is my dominant pullet (14 weeks old) just sprouted her comb and wattles about a week ago. I say sprouted because she was just about where all the others were. Her comb was quite small her and wattles were less than half formed and sometimes red, sometimes yellow. We were gone for four days and when we came home it was like someone had switched one of our chickens!!! Her comb and wattles just sprouted!

Anyway, like I do most nights, I poke into their coop while they are perched and I pet them, stroke them and sometimes even kiss them!! I was stroking Chico under her beak and I took her wattles gently between my finger and thumb and was saying to her "look at these big girl wattles!" and I was rubbing them gently when she put her head back just a bit and closed her eyes and let me do it and didn't pull away in the least!! Since then, if I stroke her wattles she does the same thing. It is so cute because normally she did not like being touched very much. She will come and sit with me sometimes but if I pet her she would often jump down. This treatment she really likes!

i was wondering if anyone else has had this happen.

 

[gritsar]

I have a few hens that calm right down if I stroke their wattles. My late rooster Thor loved it. I have two young polish that I am in love with, a pullet "Star" and a cockerel "Ozzy". The polish are definitely unique and sweet chickens. Both will close their eyes and go to sleep when I lightly brush their crests, what I call their poofs, back with my hand.

 

[mlward]

Most of my chickens seem to like it. I have orps, bantam brahmas, gold laced wyandottes, blue ameraucanas and dominiques. Oh, and a few mixed juveniles. They all seem to enjoy it, especially my brahma rooster.

 

[sheila3935]

I diacovered with my Rhodies they got friendlier when they got close to lay. My BR rooster loves his comb and wattles rubbed. This last winter when it was going to be really cold I would go out and put bag balm on his comb and wattles. He would just sit there head back almost falling asleep and would just purr. Its so cute when you can tell they are enjoying something.