Turning Chickens into Lap Pets?

[JacinLarkwell]

I've found that some hens while the may not sit in your lap, will tolerate being held and carried at the very least

 

[MrsPeterTHooper]

I had two buff orps that we raised from about 7 weeks old. They were raised at a farm before that. I was hoping for lap chickens but they never warmed up to the idea. I have also had australorps, EEs, and Delawares, all farm-raised. The Delawares were the most friendly, willing to sit by us and eat our of our hands, but none of them lap-chickens. It turns out to be a good thing for us though, because we let them free-range sometimes and I want them to be wary of other creatures around them (we have foxes, coyotes, hawks, snakes, and supposedly weasels, but I haven't seen any of those).

 

[LadiesAndJane]

All of my chickens I have hatched myself except for 2 that I got as 9 week olds.
They have all received the same amount of attention, but all are very different, just like people! The silkies are snuggle bugs, but not all of them. The Marans like to be petted if they come up to me voluntarily, the ameraucanas (the ones I bought as 9 week olds) are more aloof, but one of them likes to fly up on my shoulder and sit there. The sweetest though is a 5 week old chick that I hatched from a grocery store egg, that will come and sit on my lap and sleep. This one also follows me aound. I believe she is a second generation red sexlink (the product of 2 red sexlink) though I am not sure. Very friendly and definitely a lap chicken!

 

[SueT]

All of my chickens I have hatched myself except for 2 that I got as 9 week olds.
They have all received the same amount of attention, but all are very different, just like people! The silkies are snuggle bugs, but not all of them. The Marans like to be petted if they come up to me voluntarily, the ameraucanas (the ones I bought as 9 week olds) are more aloof, but one of them likes to fly up on my shoulder and sit there. The sweetest though is a 5 week old chick that I hatched from a grocery store egg, that will come and sit on my lap and sleep. This one also follows me aound. I believe she is a second generation red sexlink (the product of 2 red sexlink) though I am not sure. Very friendly and definitely a lap chicken!

i'd like to see a photo of the grocery store chick and hear a bit more about how this came to be.....

 

[LadiesAndJane]

i'd like to see a photo of the grocery store chick and hear a bit more about how this came to be.....

Well, I do not want to be a thread highjacker, but I will tell you!
I hatched Frankie from a fertilized grocery store egg as a lark. I had extra room in my incubator after a shipment of hatching eggs fell through. It was a spontaneous idea and I did not really think any would hatch as I had no idea how old the eggs were and how long they had been refrigerated, but I suspect at least 10-14 days if not longer. I placed 6 in the incubator, 3 started to develop, 2 went to lock down and only one, Frankie, hatched.
The even more remarkable is that I live in Hawaii and the eggs came over from California, so technically shipped eggs as well!
I have spent a small fortune on shipped hatching eggs the past 6 months, and it turns out my favorite chicken came from the grocery store!❤
First photo is a bit blurry, but this is from yesterday. She is all white. I contacted the egg producer and asked what kind of chickens they use, but never heard back. From photos from their website, looks like they use mostly red sex link or some other kind of production red, Frankie is then the offspring of two of these birds. Funny she came out all white (and yes I am sure she is a she, had the feathers tested via iqbird testing and no real comb development at 5 weeks).
She is really the sweetest chicken I have ever had! She loves sitting on my lap. Her hatch mate, a silver laced orpington, is friendly too, but not nearly as friendly as Frankie.
Turns out there are many people that do this, there are many threads on the forum. Most people use Trader Joes Eggs from what I understand.

 

[Nheiles]

All of my chickens I have hatched myself except for 2 that I got as 9 week olds.
They have all received the same amount of attention, but all are very different, just like people! The silkies are snuggle bugs, but not all of them. The Marans like to be petted if they come up to me voluntarily, the ameraucanas (the ones I bought as 9 week olds) are more aloof, but one of them likes to fly up on my shoulder and sit there. The sweetest though is a 5 week old chick that I hatched from a grocery store egg, that will come and sit on my lap and sleep. This one also follows me aound. I believe she is a second generation red sexlink (the product of 2 red sexlink) though I am not sure. Very friendly and definitely a lap chicken!

My wife and I talked about this very thing today. Jo jo was the first and only chick that demanded attention. So much that she'll peak you if your give another attention. The breed and age will start you off on the right foot, but you have to accept they are their own chicken and act differently even within the same breed.

 

[Chicken Poika]

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....'

 

[Chicken Poika]

What breed is your pullet and mother in the photo of her flying. I had a little too but had no idea what he was. Friendly too.

 

[Chicken Poika]

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....'

What breed are they?

 

[nao57]

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

Does this approach also work for ducks?