What Makes Them Friendly

[XanderWiFi]

Anyone else find it odd that after a bird is injured and you nurse it back to health a little bit that it is always much friendlier towards you? I mean, it makes sense, but seems a little too intuitive for chickens. I have a coworker who falcons and says the best way to build trust with a new falcon is to wait it out until it becomes so exhausted that it falls asleep on the arm. When it awakes and discovers that you, the big predator, has not killed it that the deal is usually sealed-along with food and the gradual learning through the team effort.

Mohawk is my brabanter who was attacked by a hawk. She got to live inside with my family and I for a week or two while she regained strength and healed. For the most part, she did her own thing and sometimes at night I would bundle her up and give some lap time. To this day she is the most timid and engaged chicken I have-always around me with the most relaxed disposition. She is the easy target for the children to get when they want to hold a chicken haha.

One of my calico princess chicks suffered a very rough pecking yesterday. For a couple hours of the day she was bundled, held, cleaned and given care. Nothing I would consider "positive reinforcement" as I irrigated her head wounds as gently but effectively as possible. One day later she is happy to be held or picked up without complaint or struggle where her sisters still think I'm Godzilla in Tokyo.

Only a couple of my girls are what I would call "standoffish" and want nothing to do with human contact. One leghorn keeps jumping onto my back when I'm bent to rump scratch another and the rest are pretty content to squat, get scratches/pets and be held on occasion without much trouble. I read a lot of "lap chicken" stories about birds that will fall asleep in laps or on chests and enjoy the pampering. I am curious about the circumstances surrounding these types of birds. Is it breed, egg hatched vs. store bought, certain upbringing or time spent? Would love to hear the stories of your lovable lap chickens.

 

[BantyChooks]

I read a lot of "lap chicken" stories about birds that will fall asleep in laps or on chests and enjoy the pampering. I am curious about the circumstances surrounding these types of birds. Is it breed, egg hatched vs. store bought, certain upbringing or time spent? Would love to hear the stories of your lovable lap chickens.

Out of the 200 odd chickens/ducks/guineas/quail I have had, the friendliest bird I owned (and still own, actually) is a Sultan x EE hen named Jazzy. Honestly, I don't really know why she's so sweet. I handled her a fairly normal amount, so it wasn't that that made her special. From day one she stood out from her broodermates as being exceptionally sweet. She never went through a skittish phase before laying like most birds do, and she will seek me out for no reason that I can see. I theorized protection from bully birds, but that doesn't seem very likely; she's low in the pecking order but still gets feed, water, and space to herself. I have never had a bird that would reliably choose humans over flock mates when not hungry. It's odd, but I won't complain, lol. She's cute.

As a side note, I also have seen birds become much nicer after being separated for an injury or whatnot.

 

[aart]

When it awakes and discovers that you, the big predator, has not killed it that the deal is usually sealed

I find this to be very true.
They are afraid until you handle them and they 'survive'....next time is easier and the more they are handled, the more they tolerate it, or even come to 'like' it.
Of course individuals may respond differently, and they can always 'change their minds' about it all and become 'flighty' again.