Stuck run

[alison]

I have seen lots of pictures on here of friendly chickens perched on people's knees, shoulders, laps etc. How long did it take them to get to that stage?

 

i would love mine to be more affectionate and let them jump up on my children's ( minded) laps for a cuddle. The chcildren are desperate to cuddle and stroke them.

 

I have, as you can see, a , 2 PP's , etc etc!

[Omletina Kyckling]

Some of mine are friendly and became so once they came into lay, but two (one crested and the copper black) are very distant and don't come near me and run off if I go near them.....

[ruth1]

A couple of them are friendly and the rest run a mile they are all different, never had one on my knee, but Esme likes to stand on my feet for some reason

[Janty]

Some of mine are lovely but some are anti-social little madames.

Delia, my Orp mini dislikes the other hens and me. She never comes near me and hates to be picked up. Mrs. Beeton on the other hand is overly friendly and treats the house like her own and jumps up for snuggles at every opportunity. I have had them for about the same amount of time. In fact, I collected Delia a few weeks before Mrs. B.

[Mrs Kettle]

I think our chickens regard the whole thing as a business arrangement - they seem to feel that we've signed some sort of Service Level Agreement whereby I bring them tasty goodies - setting foot in the garden without chicken gifts is greeted with squawks of disbelief - and they give me eggs and poo on my grass. Two are confident and curious and would be in the house like a shot if I'd let them. But none of them are prepared to be picked up except under duress.

[Egluntyne]

Mine range from very cuddly and endearing to aloof and well nigh impossible to catch.

 

Luck of the draw I suppose.

[alison]

Mrs Kettle, I love your message, it really made me chuckle! I agree, the utter disbelief is a sight to see, you can almost see theirs mouths drop in amazement!

 

I don't seem to be doing to badly then, they come running if I call them, they fight to get to me, and they will be picked up, they rush into crouching mode if I pass the pen, or open the door, and trample on my feet to get out!

 

I let them completely free range last week, they completely trashed the flower beds, but it was so funny to see them chucking the bark everywhere, but I had to clear it up as the gardener had just been and DH would have gone loopy!

 

They did venture 100ft up the garden to the patio area, and I did manage to round them all up quite quickly. I suppose I have only had them 2 months!

 

Thanks, it was great to read your experiences.

[RubyReckless]

I have found a strong correlation between the amount I handled them in the first 3 weeks or so o having them, and how friendly they are. True of most pets, really, isn't it.

 

We handled the first girls loads, and they were such cheeky things. Dolores used to hop on my knee if i was sitting outside eating lunch, and have a look to see if there was anything on my plate she fancied. Margot let 30 Year 1 kids pet her and feed her dandelions.

 

The current girls are a mixed bunch. Ruby is a doll, very friendly. Ida is very willing to be picked up, Sarah hates it and runs away.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I agree with the theory on handling them young really helping with how touchy feely they are. My Mrs Jones is very aloof, but I'm grabbing her at night for a cuddle to get her used to contact. The other three are well up for it, having all been easier to catch to begin with. They make contented cooing noises when they are stroked and cuddled. Once they realise it's nice to be stroked, it gets easier.

 

I used to chase them a bit to have a stroke, but now that they are laying eggs, they either squat when I come close (which looks very funny) or just let me stroke them while they nibble the grass or windfall apples. Folks on here said that when they start to lay they will squat, and they do! Are yours doing that?

 

The man I got my hens from suggested getting hold of them for some cuddling and stroking in the evenings as they tend to be more docile the nearer they get to bedtime. It does seem to be the case.

 

Hand-feeding them live mealworms probably helped too. Flat of the hand so they don't peck little people's fingers. But that made them think I was a good thing and not a two-legged fox.

 

Let us know how you get on.

 

Anna x

[alison]

I did handle them a lot, as much as I could when I first got them - a bit like socialising a new baby to my setting! They will let all me pick them up, and they are very calm when I do so, they seem to like it and make lovely noises. I just wish they would ask to be picked up!

 

They eat quite happily from my hand and the little ones hands, they will also be stroked when crouching. They come running when they see me.

 

I am suppose I am used to soppy Burmese cats who will do anything to be picked up and cuddled. My DH is convinced that one of my cats has a foot fetish!

 

I must remember they are chickens!

[GillC]

I got two ginger rangers with the eglu, handled them alot in the early days and found them very friendly.

 

I then got two different breeds from a local chicken breeder who advised me that different breeds have different personalities. I found this to be true. I chose a black rock based on looks. She is very much the queen of the flock and quite outgoing. She hates me picking her up, but will follow me around and hop on my arm or shoulder despite having been handled as much as the others in the early days.

 

I also got a little amber star (white) at the suggestion of the chicken guy once I'd said I wanted a family pet. She has an adorable personality. She follows me around like a puppy, loves to be handled and will, if allowed, hop on me at the slightest opportunity (like when I'm cleaning the eglu or bending down topping up the feeders).

 

After these experiences, I'd definitely go back to the same chicken breeder and take his advice on which chickens to choose as he certainly knows his birds

[piptiddlepip]

I handled my girls as much as they would let me get away with.

 

Aggie will let herself be picked up, and Esme will too. Maggie will strictly under duress or upon payment of raisins, and Gytha will run up vertical surfaces rather than let herself be touched.

 

All of them except Gytha will let me stroke them, and they often come and seek us out. Aggie seems to be the most attached to us and I wonder if that is because she's the youngest. She looks, sounds and acts like a baby. But she's getting her comb and wattles now, and she's trying to crouch (a sort of half-hearted curtsey so far - think Cherie Blair), so not for long.

[..lay a little egg for me]

I think our chickens regard the whole thing as a business arrangement - they seem to feel that we've signed some sort of Service Level Agreement whereby I bring them tasty goodies - setting foot in the garden without chicken gifts is greeted with squawks of disbelief - and they give me eggs and poo on my grass. Two are confident and curious and would be in the house like a shot if I'd let them. But none of them are prepared to be picked up except under duress.

 

They sound just like mine. The Agreement certainly involves us bringing treats whenever we set foot outside the house and picking up was definitely not in the contract.

[helenmb]

Hi Alison

 

I have 3 new girls and 1 old girl and think I made a mistake with my oldest in that I didn't handle her much so consquently she is frightened of me

 

However, 2 of my new girls my Amber Star and Bluebelle are very friendly and can be stroked a bit (if there is mixed corn involved ). Now I've got them used to me stroking them whilst they are feeding I quickly scoop them up and are getting much happier the more I do this. They make a bit of noise but I now feed them a few meal worms when I have hold of them and they are obviously realising that they get them if they are picked up. Well, thats the theory. My Silver Sussex is another matter, she is much more flightly and skittish and although I can catch her if need be, makes the most terrible noise so much so, that it sounds like she thinks I'm going to pluck her alive. So, I agree I think its down to either the breed or individual hen.

 

I've had my new girls for 3 weeks now so it's still quiet early days I think, am also trying to do things little and often too.

 

Persevere, and bribery certainly works for me

 

Hope they start loving you more very soon.

 

H

[alison]

Having read all the replies, they ARE obviously pretty friendly. This afternoon they were all falling over my feet to get to me!

 

They're great really, they do come when I call them!

[frenchlayer]

I find only bribery works with my three. Food and they are lovely, no food = no cuddles.

 

They are completely mercenery. (spelling ?)

[Steph101]

My ginger (lost one on a chicken sitting experience recently unfortunately) is very friendly, and so was Barbara, her ginger buddy, before she passed away. She literally dawdles around your feet waiting to be picked up.

My black rocks, on the other hand, are more like Lulu, the miss peppepot we had; feisty, harder to catch, not as skittish as they once were, but still amusingly crouchy. It's like a cartoon when they chase each other... or Monty Python's ministry of silly walks. Maureen, our really beautiful black rock, with hardly any gold markings and bright, gold, burning eyes, crouches constantly around your feet. I just have to bend down and stroke her for the heck of it! But the gingers are definitely the most docile in my opinion.