Turning Chickens into Lap Pets?

[Elliebeans]

I also have a Cochin (LF) who is a real lap chicken and super friendly, I've had her since she was a day old. Only one out of 4 who wasn't a roo.
I do have a Salmon Faverolles who was about 5 months old when I got her and wasn't hand raised. She now can barely wait for me to sit down now before she jumps on my lap for her snuggle time. Her sister isn't a lap chicken like she is but is still friendly, they follow you around like dogs. They were still fairly new when my dad started building a new coop. Every time he arrived they would follow him and settle in close by to keep him company while he worked. They didn't care about the big pieces of wood being carried around or the sawing, hammering and drilling, they just wanted to hang around the human. It was pretty cute.

Like others have said it depends on the individual and the breed. I'm not familiar with Easter Eggers but I do have an Araucana which is similar enough I think. She's one of my least friendly chickens and will never become a lap chicken. She's good to have around though because I feel like she'd be the most likely chicken in the flock to go into defensive mode, my rooster is kind of useless.

 

[Lovem all]

Totally doable. I have my 11 new chicks that follow me all around the yard and want carried and on my lap. Just take your time to spend time with them. I have even been able to turn 7-8 year old chickens into lap chicken.

 

[CutieBabyChicks]

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:
View attachment 2266160

This can lead to training for feats of skill--this is the mother of the above pullet:
View attachment 2266163
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....'

Oh yes. My Buff chick (we call her Buffy ) is SO nice. She is COMPLETELY fine with being picked up. She stares at us all the time. If we pick her up, she will just making little chicken sounds of happiness and start roaming all over us and she will eventually jump on our shoulders (like a parrot) and then sit on our heads . One of our Silkies also likes being cuddled, although she is quite vicious to the other chicks. I know, shocker. I think it is first dependent on breed, then on the bird themselves and their experiences with humands so far.

 

[Henwoman]

I found out with my Chocolate Orps that the two I raised from hatch are much more inclined to be pets than the 2 I purchased at 10 weeks that had not been handled. I spend a lot of time each day with them and 1 is better but the other still quite wild. That being said they all are easily managed as a flock with the two gentle pets being the lead...I’m sure with time they all settle to a degree but genetics probably do influence that as well. Best of luck...I had to rehome two Roos as well...sad day

 

[Nheiles]

In most cases you'll have the most success on taming an animal from a younger age. The older they get the more work they'll need and a lot of the times it won't be ideal in the end.

With chickens some breeds are far better than others when it comes to disposition. Buff Opringtons, Australorps, Cochins, Turkens, Silkies, and Polish to name a few are going to be far more docile than a Road Island Red for example. Can a RIR or other breeds be docile like the ones I mentioned, sure they can, but the odds are not in your favor.

The older they are the longer and harder it's going to be to tame them. Patience, Security and treats all help with this, but patience will be the defining attribute. Also the specific person plays a big role, my wife has an infinity to tame feral cats though in most cases they're only happy to get loves from her on the most part. Me on the other hand have no success in that. Two of our foster cats turned adopted cats only want pets during very specific times like when treats or getting fed is involved. Her on the other hand they'll swarm when I'm not around. So consider that, you might get a pullet that likes you and hates your son or vice versa.

If your concerned about getting chicks that might turn out to be a cockerel down the road buy sexed day old chicks from a well known hatchery like Murray McMurray, Meyer Hatchery, or even Crackle Hatchery. This way you know you won't have to get rid of them down the road and you'll forgo the time it will take to tame a chicken that might end up not what you want. This will also reduce the chances of you getting a chick that only like one of you.

Both cases are rewarding, but both situations have different approaches.

 

[GrammaMickyMouse]

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:
View attachment 2266160

This can lead to training for feats of skill--this is the mother of the above pullet:
View attachment 2266163
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....'

I Love that "Buff Orpington are the Golden Retrievers of the Chicken World", and have found that statement to be ever so True Indeed. I just Love my 3 Golden BO's, I also have 2 Jubilee Orps & 4 Lil Lavendar Orpingtons....so excited for the younger ones to mature like my 3 Goldies (5 mths)

 

[GrammaMickyMouse]

I found out with my Chocolate Orps that the two I raised from hatch are much more inclined to be pets than the 2 I purchased at 10 weeks that had not been handled. I spend a lot of time each day with them and 1 is better but the other still quite wild. That being said they all are easily managed as a flock with the two gentle pets being the lead...I’m sure with time they all settle to a degree but genetics probably do influence that as well. Best of luck...I had to rehome two Roos as well...sad day

Ohhhh, they are so Pretty!!!

 

[Marthamae21]

A word of caution about disease. The CDC annually reports on outbreaks of salmonella in humans around this time of year, mostly associated with backyard flocks. Many of us have backyard flocks now, and while the CDC has offered no guidance (that I know of) on how to determine if a particular flock has the potential to infect someone, they do suggest not "snuggling" or kissing chickens. That is not the same as letting them up on your lap, however. So, just a cautionary statement, and yet another reason to wash your hands.

 

[Shahnaz13]

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

We have some "rescue chickens" and one was the most neglected animal we ever got: over grown beak, a lump of hardened dropping (my husband had to cut it with pliers!) was bending a toe back, mites etc. Fluffy was petrified of people but over time she learned that I was giving out treats, protected her when other hens were "nasty" and she sits now on my lap with closed eyes and enjoys nothing more than a good head scratch . You see, even under such bad circumstances you can win their trust and get a lap chicken in the end . Regarding race - no idea. Fluffy is part "normal" chicken (her head) and the rest (body and feathers on her feet) is silkie...... )))) Good luck!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We have some "rescue chickens" and one was the most neglected animal we ever got: over grown beak, a lump of hardened dropping (my husband had to cut it with pliers!) was bending a toe back, mites etc. Fluffy was petrified of people but over time she learned that I was giving out treats, protected her when other hens were "nasty" and she sits now on my lap with closed eyes and enjoys nothing more than a good head scratch . You see, even under such bad circumstances you can win their trust and get a lap chicken in the end . Regarding race - no idea. Fluffy is part "normal" chicken (her head) and the rest (body and feathers on her feet) is silkie...... )))) Good luck!

Pictures???