Do chickens enjoy being petted? I got my two chickens fairly recently and as adult hens. They've become a lot tamer over the last few months and will eat out of my hand and hang around to 'help' in the garden. Now I wonder if I could get them used to being touched. It would supposedly make it easier to handle them when it becomes necessary for stuff like wing clipping or treating their feet? (at least that's my excuse)
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I've kept several different breeds and none of them really seem to enjoy being touched although they'll certainly tolerate it. Friendliest birds I've had are young Silkie cockerels, very inquisitive, will follow you everywhere and try to eat your shoelaces :)
If I'd kept them I think they would have made good pets apart from the crowing.
Hi Sealander, thanks for the comment. Yes, I think my birds are as friendly as they are going to get, which still means they keep out of reach if they can help it. They may be too old to really change their behaviour. O well, once I have more experience maybe I'll try some younger chickens some time. In the meantime being a bit shy is the only 'problem' I've had with my oldies, so that's really a minor thing. By the way (sorry, different topic), do you still grow mashua? I'd quite like to try that some time, but can't find it for sale. Where did your plants come from?
Yes, I still grow mashua. Got the tubers from the Southern Seed Exchange seed swap one year. Very easy to grow but you need a fence for it to climb up.
Thanks for the tips. I haven't had much success yet, but I'll just give it some time. I tried touching them when they go to roost, but their coop is fairly small and I think they don't like being disturbed in there. Food is probably my best option :-). They don't groom each other either, so I wonder whether they will even like it or whether getting them to tolerate it is the best you can do.
Hi there, they are naturally wary when free ranging and like to bob away just out of reach. But if you have the time try petting them and handling them when they go to roost for a few nights, that will make them used to being touched and eventually they will be less bothered with being touched when out during the day.
My kids handle some of our birds a lot and if they are young sometimes I think they treat the kids as mums and will come up and hudle about like they would with a hen looking to duk under her wings. Its a bit a pest to be truthful once they are bigger especially the cockerels as it translates in to pestering you every time you go outdoors!
I have three girls one oldie Doris and 2 pullets we got a couple of months ago.Doris is so friendly ipat her each day. The newbies Fizz and Haley are responding Fizz knows her name and comes straight away.Haley is a littler slower.Its all about spending time and rewarding them with food.They are pretty smart cookies.
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I've kept several different breeds and none of them really seem to enjoy being touched although they'll certainly tolerate it. Friendliest birds I've had are young Silkie cockerels, very inquisitive, will follow you everywhere and try to eat your shoelaces :)
If I'd kept them I think they would have made good pets apart from the crowing.
Hi Hanna
Yes, I still grow mashua. Got the tubers from the Southern Seed Exchange seed swap one year. Very easy to grow but you need a fence for it to climb up.
Hi there, they are naturally wary when free ranging and like to bob away just out of reach. But if you have the time try petting them and handling them when they go to roost for a few nights, that will make them used to being touched and eventually they will be less bothered with being touched when out during the day.
My kids handle some of our birds a lot and if they are young sometimes I think they treat the kids as mums and will come up and hudle about like they would with a hen looking to duk under her wings. Its a bit a pest to be truthful once they are bigger especially the cockerels as it translates in to pestering you every time you go outdoors!