Turning Chickens into Lap Pets?

[Loralye]

So my son and I incubated 3 cochins earlier this year. We spent a lot of time taming them once hatched and they were the sweetest....all three ended up being roosters! They would jump onto my shoulder, run to me when they heard me.... we had them for 3 months before we found them all good homes.

My son and I really want that bond again.... but if we risk getting baby chicks we risk a bad roo ratio and being heart broken again....

There are some 9 week old Easter Eggers available near us, and some from a few days old up to a few weeks old, we could get a few and he said if they are roos we can bring the roos back... they are all unsocialized and wild right now. He said we can wait a month and come back when he knows which ones are pullets...

Will we be able to tame 3 month olds that have been running wild?

Another woman near us has some mixed hens a few months old, an EE and an Amaracuana I'd be interested in, but they are completely untamed/trained as well....

Just looking for some opinions.....thoughts? Would it be possible to tame them over time? I know not all personalities want to be held or petted .... but would it be more likely to get that bond again with chicks?

Thanks

 

[Painted Calls]

I think most of is is solely based on an individual and breed basis.

Cochins are lap chickens. That's how most of them are. (That's why they're the best. )

I think the younger they are when you get them, the better. I would look for started pullets and then work with them every day.

 

[The Happster]

That's why they're the best.

Traitor. Buff Orpington are the best.

I agree completely apart from that nonsense about Cochins being better than Buff Orps.

It's always better to start with them earlier.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

My EEs are all wild children. However, I acquired 2 buff brahmas when they were 3 years old, had them for a year and never messed with them much. When I come home from work I like to sit on my porch and the one brahma likes to stand at my feet and stare at me. Every day. The entire time. One day I decided to pick her up and she just settled right on my lap like she's done this every day her whole life. From what I understand though she had never been handle much in her life. Some chickens were just born to be lap chickens! Others, no so much. I have 18 birds including cochins, polish, EEs, Ameraucana's, welsummer, leghorn, marans, olive eggers, and two mutts, and she's the only lap chicken. Shes the one in my avatar photo. Her name is Burrito!

 

[Painted Calls]

Traitor. Buff Orpington are the best.

I agree completely apart from that nonsense about Cochins being better than Buff Orps.

It's always better to start with them earlier.

Orps are just cochins without bedroom slippers.

I like bedroom slippers and pint sized floofs.

 

[SueT]

Sunflower seeds help.
Most of my chickens are friendly but would prefer not to be touched. I have occasionally had ones that have chosen to be lap chickens, and if they do, they are encouraged with treats. Here is my most recent:


This can lead to training for feats of skill--this is the mother of the above pullet:

But as the others have said, Cochins and Buff Orps are excellent candidates. Buff Orps are known as 'the golden retrievers of the chicken world....'

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Here is my lap chicken getting head scratches

And a picture of her snoozing. I’ve greatly enjoyed her

 

[Mrs. K]

It will take a strong dose of patience, and NOT grabbing them and holding them.

A chair in the run. Just sit there quietly, don't move and don't talk too much. Stay for a while. Next day repeat. Just watch them, don't move, don't coax, just sit there, quietly. Notice how far they stay away from you. Mark the distance in your mind. Next day, pour a little treat closer than that line and go and sit quietly in your chair. After they have eaten up all the goodies, toss out a small handful, a little closer to you. Let them eat it, and when they are done and move away, leave.

Next day - go in and sit down and wait, now they should start to approach you, do NOT reach for them, sit there quietly, then move the treat jar, and toss some out, fairly close to your chair, they my dance back with the motion of your arm, but they have come to expect you to bring good things, and are no longer afraid that you are going to scare them. They should come quite close to you. Sit there quietly. As they move away, toss out a bit more, they will come back more quickly.

Keep doing this, and one of them will eventually jump in your lap.

I do have a friend that also, always strokes them in the near dark at night while they are on the roost.

I did do all of this, and discovered I really didn't like them sitting on me. But to each his own. I am pretty positive this will work with any chicken, so get what you want and what you can.

Mrs K

 

[humblehillsfarm]

It will take a strong dose of patience, and NOT grabbing them and holding them.

A chair in the run. Just sit there quietly, don't move and don't talk too much. Stay for a while. Next day repeat. Just watch them, don't move, don't coax, just sit there, quietly. Notice how far they stay away from you. Mark the distance in your mind. Next day, pour a little treat closer than that line and go and sit quietly in your chair. After they have eaten up all the goodies, toss out a small handful, a little closer to you. Let them eat it, and when they are done and move away, leave.

Next day - go in and sit down and wait, now they should start to approach you, do NOT reach for them, sit there quietly, then move the treat jar, and toss some out, fairly close to your chair, they my dance back with the motion of your arm, but they have come to expect you to bring good things, and are no longer afraid that you are going to scare them. They should come quite close to you. Sit there quietly. As they move away, toss out a bit more, they will come back more quickly.

Keep doing this, and one of them will eventually jump in your lap.

I do have a friend that also, always strokes them in the near dark at night while they are on the roost.

I did do all of this, and discovered I really didn't like them sitting on me. But to each his own. I am pretty positive this will work with any chicken, so get what you want and what you can.

Mrs K

All of this is likely why my chicken became a lap chicken. I spend a lot of time with my flock and this particular one has battled Bumblefoot the entire time I’ve had her so she’s had a lot of late nights adventures (and treats) inside the house. I had never once attempted to pick her up until she started persistently staring at me while I was sitting down outside and one day I decided to pick her up and to my surprise she let me and she settled right in! I don’t usually condone chickens close to my face. Chicken pecks to the eye are not joke! And she’s always sitting in a pillow because her claws are sharp.

 

[centrarchid]

If looking for a breed to serve as a pet, my suggestion is an Aseel. Something is different about them starting at hatch making them very good in close proximity to humans. I have use chickens as educational tools a lot where they are tame and trained. The Aseels have the taming part coming much more naturally. Spend the extra time an money to get a pair (not as two roosters). Be ready to house separately if need be, but I think you will like them.