Starting Over - Advise for Pet-able Chickens Needed

[Chicky Tocks]

Dual purpose egg producing petable chickens - hands down is the Black Copper Maran. Mine are like kittens that weave between my legs.

Just pet pet love love - The Serama. I have a pair that get sloppy lopperdop kisses and don't even mind.

 

[breezy]

I have buff orps and a jersey giant. They have been raised as pets that lay eggs.While the 3 BO are nice and can be petted the jersey giant is really docile and quite tame. When I have kids come over she is the one we catch and hold for petting . All the chooks will eat from your hand and will jump for treats. I started them out as pets by feeding them treats from my hands. I set up a couple of cinder blocks in the pen and just sat out there with them at first feeding them canned corn or string cheese. I did this till they started to run towards me everytime they saw me. I didnt let them free range in the yard till after they would come when I called for them.Now they act like feathered puppies. They come when I call and the follow me around. While I believe there are certainly breeds that are more docile than others I also believe conditioning them to be more like pets takes a bit of work the same as any other pet you want to interact with.

 

[Mandalina]

my turkens are my cuddliest breed of chickies. my silkie is too.

 

[blacktailsmom]

Wow! Yay! So wonderful, and I love hearing from other people that love chickens.

Buff Orpingtons (sp) were one of the breeds at the petting farm (I think) and looks somewhat similar to our RIR's ... although more teddy bear-ish. My 3 kiddos are upset about loosing our three girls, but fluffy chicks will help solve that. I have to admit that the blue/green eggs of EE's are intriguing, and I have heard as pets they are easy to tell apart due to color variation.

(Although we can tell apart Clue, Rosella and Blacktail apart, BT is the easiest to spot, her 7mm wide scar that encircles her neck from tangling with an opposom really sets her apart).

Anyone have Wyandottes? They have favorable notes on dispositions. Thoughts there?

 

[spamee34]

I wrot a book a few blocks back but forgot to tell ya what breeds I do have ( how dare me). I have black jersey giants and silver laced wyondott's and RIR's and one ancona and two barred rocks and one old lady EE. Ok the wyondott's are calm but they do not let me pet them . But someone's else may have some they can pet . Mine are not freakish tho just keep a hand length from them

 

[welovechickens]

You can see my 3 chicken breeds in my signature. My bantam is the tamest of them all! IMO raising bantam chicks is really touchy simply because of how tiny they are, but they seem to have sweet personalities.

My EE is very tame too, though she has an independent streak and will play "stay just out of reach" sometimes.

My SLW isn't really tame at all. I can walk over and pick her up, but she struggles like mad and isn't cuddly!

I think the key for taming any breed of chick is holding and petting. Don't grab them haphazardly, slide your hand under them and let one finger slide between their legs so their legs dangle between your fingers. Then put your other hand on top of them if they struggle. I see so many people just grab a chick and hold it in midair to look at it, and all the while the chick is struggling because it feels insecure in the hand....sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine.

Be sure your kids know how to pick up the chicks carefully (hold firmly but gently, no squeezing!) and then they should pick them up and hold them as often as they can.

Now I want more baby chicks!

 

[Wiglwerm]

Well, I have a variety all different ages...a barred rock pair, the hen thinks I'm the devil and the Roo (ungrateful @#@#

Who I raised with kindness and love from a wee chick) must be listening to her bad mouth me and he also wants nothing to do with that "evil women who feeds us and dares to touch us." My 2.5 month old Buff Orphington, my game hen and my showgirl are all sweet and love to be held. I have a silver laced (bantam..I think) and a gold laced wyndotte, got both at the same time and they are like night and day. The gold wants nothing to do with humans and the silver will let you hold her but does try to run off with her "sister" the gold. I bought a full grown BO mix that was sooooo sweet she would be up on her roost and put her head through the fence for you to pet her.....after awhile with the flock she is indifferent (that darn BR Hen running her mouth...I should eat her

) But anyways...My vote is the BUFF ORPHINGTON, she really is the sweetest most docile chicky I have. Good luck with your search. Oh yeah the silkies really are the best to snuggle cause they are sooo SOFT.

 

[greenpeeps]

Currently we have 2 very sweet cinnamon Queens and two somewhat kinda nice Amberlinks. I did all the holding daily, treats, bla, bla, bla. The amberlinks just aren't people chickens. I did tons of research, and placed an order for 4 Buckeyes, you should check out the buckeye thread on here. Not a bad thing from anyone, and they are a heratige dual purpose bird, and very pretty.

Good Luck

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Although I would avoid breeds that are notoriously flighty, I think the common thread here is that daily handling is the key. And don't stop when they get a bit older...keep picking them up everyday and make them lap chickens. Take your chair into their run and keep some scratch or other treats in a cup in your hand...they'll jump on your lap for some treats. That's the way to every chickens heart...through their stomach!!

All this said...I still think that silkies are naturally people friendly and take to being lap chickens easier that other breeds.

 

[adkchickmama]

The first year we had chicks (8) , we cuddled and held them a lot. Even watching tv I would take turns holding different chicks just cuz they were so cute. They were Black Australorps, 1 red star, 1 buff orp. They are still friendly, and love to be held, except the red star she is very independant! THe second year I got chicks, EE's and SLW. We held cuddled, snuggled for 4 days then I had to go away for 3 weeks. My DH fed and watered but did not hold and cuddle them. When I got back from KY (had a brand new baby grandson), my darling chicks were in the ugly half feathered teenage stage and very flighty, they did not like to be held and screeched like banshees if I wanted to hold and cuddle one. They never really did warm up to being held again and even though I coax them with treats they tolerate me but don't like cuddling.The Wyandottes are not too bad, I find the EE's very flighty and standoffish except one, Fat Lilly, and the EE roo he is a sweetie.

.

Out of the original batch of 8, we only have 3 left due to various varmints and illness, are still my pride and joy. This year I plan to hatch my own chicks and will make sure to hold and do lots of cuddling. It not only makes it more enjoyable for me but easier to handle them when they need medical attention, banding etc.

PS. my BA are my best broodies also , I will definately get more of them.