Sad that my chickens don't really like to be touched.

[parkerpeeps7]

@Kevin565- wow, I am so sorry to hear that about your birds

but at least you still have your geese!

@stcroixusvi- Our RIR's are defintely more skiddish than the PPR. Perhaps that is a trait. As far as food goes I am extremely cautious about what I feed them. They are on a good commercial feed that was recommended by other chicken owners & I also have the "Raising Chickens for Dummies" book that has a list of safe foods that I refer too, lol. I have been so worried about giving them other food that the only thing they've had is bread and some cabbage. Oh and we give them scratch 1 to 2 times a week to give them something to do! Today I am going to get some meal worms to try & get them to warm up to me some more.

 

[parkerpeeps7]

@terryg- well that was something I didn't know. That is frustrating, especially since we have 2 roosters! I do want to have a rooster though b/c we would like to hatch our own chickens. We unintentionally got 2 roosters b/c I would have been perfectly happy with the one. We were told our PPR's were all hens & well, they were wrong!

 

[parkerpeeps7]

x2

We had a flock without a roo and they all were very friendly towards us. Then we increased our flock last year and added two roosters. They are great roos but the do not allow the hens to hang around us much and usually only for a bit while we feed them treats. After that they lead them off into another part of our yard.

I'm good with that though. I'd rather have 2 roos that treat the girls well and protect them than have hens I can pet.

My lone turkey hen follows me around and even flies over the fence and runs into the house if a door is left open. No tom so I'm her BFF!!

I think I'd be disappointed if that happened to me but if the rooster took good care of the girls then I guess I'd keep him, hehe.
I love that about your turkey! Just made me giggle!

 

[seminolewind]

I have found that some of my chickens go thru adolescense where they don't want to know you, then when the hens start squatting, you can establish a better relationship with them.

The other thing I've found is the chicks I've hatched in small numbers, like 2-3 seem to see me more as "mom" and get more attached to me and easy to pick up or want to be with me alot.

Some had gotten friendlier because I sit outside with them and sometimes they get curious and jump up on my lap, and eventually I touch them softly, but not much and eventually they are okay with it.

But best to me is when I have only 2-3 at a time for the first 6-8 weeks.

 

[theoldchick]

Chickens are chickens. Some don't like to be petted, especially breeds designed for supplying eggs or meat. Bantams have a tendency to be more friendly as they are bred as pets. Silkies are more social and don't mind being handled. I suspect those fuzzy feathers are more tolerant to the pressure of being handled. Nothing like having a feather pulled out while being petted to put a chicken in a bad mood.

If you want your chickens to come to you, sit on the ground, and don't move. Offer treats to the ones that come close and the others will come. Never forget our friendly fowl have certain instincts and didn't survive by being social with the predator. Respect who they are and don't feel bad if they never warm up to you. Out of my 17 birds I have two to regularly seek my attention. The hen in my avatar is Askew and loves to sit in my lap to watch me take photos.

 

[parkerpeeps7]

I have found that some of my chickens go thru adolescense where they don't want to know you, then when the hens start squatting, you can establish a better relationship with them.

The other thing I've found is the chicks I've hatched in small numbers, like 2-3 seem to see me more as "mom" and get more attached to me and easy to pick up or want to be with me alot.

Some had gotten friendlier because I sit outside with them and sometimes they get curious and jump up on my lap, and eventually I touch them softly, but not much and eventually they are okay with it.

But best to me is when I have only 2-3 at a time for the first 6-8 weeks.

I do hope that I can have a better relationship with them. I haven't hatched any of mine yet but will eventually. I do have PPR hens & 2 RIR hens, so my numbers are small but again, I didn't hatch them. A little over a month ago we moved them to a much bigger coop where we can actually walk in it, it's a 10x10 so now I can sit with them, which I am happy about! Before they were in a small coop that opened from the top so it was difficult to get in there and spend any quality time with them. They were only in there for about 3 months but that was time I lost not being able to bond with them. I'm hoping things will get better now that they are in their permanent home. Thank you for your response!

 

[parkerpeeps7]

Chickens are chickens. Some don't like to be petted, especially breeds designed for supplying eggs or meat. Bantams have a tendency to be more friendly as they are bred as pets. Silkies are more social and don't mind being handled. I suspect those fuzzy feathers are more tolerant to the pressure of being handled. Nothing like having a feather pulled out while being petted to put a chicken in a bad mood.

If you want your chickens to come to you, sit on the ground, and don't move. Offer treats to the ones that come close and the others will come. Never forget our friendly fowl have certain instincts and didn't survive by being social with the predator. Respect who they are and don't feel bad if they never warm up to you. Out of my 17 birds I have two to regularly seek my attention. The hen in my avatar is Askew and loves to sit in my lap to watch me take photos.

I started to think that this was just normal chicken behavior. It's possible I just lucked up and got anti-social chickens.

I'm going to work with them though. We are wanting to get more hens so I'm gonna think about getting some friendlier breeds. I already went out and sat with them yesterday and am going to keep doing that, hopefully on a daily basis. I'm glad you have a few who will come and spend time with you.

Thank you for the info on the other breeds that can be friendly!

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I agree about the rooster. I find that most of the books/memoirs I've read with people and their chickens and based on my experience, chickens without a rooster are more social. I'm the rooster to them. However, I do still have to get them used to me being around. I talk to them, sit in their run, hand feed them snacks. Now they come running when they hear my voice and allow me to pick them up and pet them. With time and patience you can turn at least one girl around.

 

[gvilledh]

I have a flock of seven hens with my friend and neighbor. We got them as chicks and have handled them a lot. They'd efinitely went through the adolescent age of not wanting to be handled. They would come and eat treats out of my hand, but just did not want me to pick them up. They started laying about two weeks ago and squatting a weeks or so before that, they are like different girls now. They will squat and let us pet them and sometimes when we stop walk right back up to us for more. It is almost as if they remember they can trust us again.
I have found out that petting a chicken in cold weather and feeling those down feathers is the neatest thing ever. They are so warm! It also reminds me that they have their own insulation and can survive the cold just fine.

 

[kjfrogster41]

Excellent advice! As you note patience, subdued movement and a general quiet manner work best. Carrying treats to have ready at any time sure does work. As pointed out by another responder, you are a predator. Large bipedal humanoid, who may, very realistically, eat them. My hand-raised girls went through a phase (teenagers) where they were very flighty and suddenly were not Mommy's little snugglers. They are now past that, mature hens, and back to doing laps. They still do not like the initial being picked up but settle right down once I get seated with them.