woffle Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Maisy, our newly aquired Maran has to be the friendliest chicken I've ever met - not sure if this is a breed trait or not? From when she arrived she'll come to you and happily be petted and picked up - our two daughters think this is great. She's about 22 weeks, was raised in a flock of about 30 other Marans and Sussex Hybrids with a bare minimum of human handling. Nothing that would lead me to think she was already 'tame' as such. Daisy, the Amber we bought from the same place is a little less sure but I think will improve with regular hand feeding and stroking on our part. Of our two older hens, Pippin the PR was given to us and was a much loved and handled pet at her previous home where she was hand fed, she's happy to be picked up but Cindy, our Light Sussex pure breed was bought as a POL and is still extremely skittish at 1.5 years old. It's a real chase to catch her for wing clipping etc, though she's getting better and better and will now come and 'almost' feed from the hand. I just wondered whether some breeds are re-known for being friendlier / easier to handle than others or is it purely subjective and down to the raising of the birds to POL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatally Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My Speckledy (Maran Hybrid) is not very friendly, but by far the friendliest is Bella the Amber link - she is also the naughtiest and is never in the run when I get home, usually the field next to us. At least she's easy to get back as she comes flying over when she sees us. The least friendly of mine is my Bluebelle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My speckledy (maran hybrid) is not very friendly, nor are the black rocks, but the goldine is very friendly. Some breeds do seem to have a reputation for friendliness...I remember reading that the goldlines are supposed to be friendly and mine seems to be. However, I suspect that the individual personalities of the birds far outweigh whatever the breed tendencies are supposed to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My little red hen is the friendliest and nosiest but none of mine really like cuddles. I'm trying to train my Maran Cuivre to be my cuddle chicken as she is the fattest with the most fluff but she's having none of it! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topdollar Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My Maran Hybrid, Margot (Now Gerry), is still a little shy but very inquisitive. All the rest of my girls are very friendly except the bluebell who doesn't really like to be handled and also attacks my dog when it gets too close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My Columbine is the friendliest, then the Rhode Island Red and lastly the Pied Suffolk (who won't even come out of the run if I'm standing nearby ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahboo Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 We have three chooks - all Colombian Blacktails. So far, so good - little illness and plenty of eggs - even two in one day on one of the few long summer days that we had!! They are very docile and don't mind being picked up. housing Marmite, Tikka & Honey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyReckless Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Both Warrens and both Black Rocks have been very friendly indeed. The Rhode Island Red was quite friendly. The White Star couldn't be "Ooops, word censored!"d with us, the Ancona was pretty aloof and the Speckledy doesn't think much of us at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My three gingernuts are all pretty friendly, one of my crested girls is friendly, the other won't let me within 3 feet of her and I've not handled her since the day she arrived. My black girl is the same, doesn't let me near her, and I suspect that the new girls might turn out to be the same. It's such a shame, as I love to stroke them, and pick them up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Gilda, my RI Red is the nosiest and bravest, she will feed from my hand, and so will Molly the Barnvelder - although a little more cautiously. Mary Alice (Lt Sussex) looks as though she would like to but daren't, and poor little Ada (Legbar) will come nowhere near me. None of them will be stroked or picked up yet, I'm hoping this will come when they start laying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruth1 Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I can't get near my Maran, i have to admire her from a distance but shes a lovely looking girl. Esme the Goldline is really friendly( under your feet) and Lav the Costwald legbar has gone from admire me from a distance to whatcha doing and standing in the poo tray when I'm trying to empty them, but neither of them like being picked up. The other Legbar and leghorn not a chance of getting near and gytha the Orp is pally but doesnt likebeing picked up but since she's huge thats not really a problem Ella the Faverolle is the best, bottom of the pecking order and because of her dodgy feet has to be picked up regularly so she's possibly resigned to it But shes a lovely little girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My two chooks are really tame in that they come right up to me, follow me round the garden, come running when I call, and I can walk by them within an inch and they don't bat an eyelid - unless I happen to be holding an 'un-identified flying object' - like a dustpan and brush or a tub of grit - then they look a bit wary. They let me stroke them (sort of), and I can give them a quick 'bum & crop' health check! And they will climb on my lap for treats. But they don't like being picked up! The best I get is when Skye crouches as she's going into the run, I can pick her up and chuck her in. She then ruffles her feathers and shakes herself as if to say 'Yuk get off me!!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 My light sussex is the friendliest. She always loiters around at bed time to be picked up for a cuddle. My Maran is always running away as is my silver sussex. Depends on the individual I suppose then ruffles her feathers and shakes herself as if to say 'Yuk get off me!!' That sounds familiar Moomin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kez Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I've only had our girls two weeks. We let them out to free range after 4 1/2 days. I was able to pick Melody (Miss Pepperpot) up straight away for a quick cuddle. Liberty (Gingernut Ranger) was too quick on her toes. Now, I come home from work, fly through the house and straight out to the back garden for my daily chicken fix. I give them both a cuddle. They don't like being picked up too much but at least I get a daily cuddle with them both. I now want more hens!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bephlam Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Our faverolles are so friendly. It's a fight every day to decide who jumps up on our lap first. They cuddle in to you at every opportunity. They really are as friendly as our cats and dogs! It's brilliant!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I have always found that the hens which are friendliest to me (and are thus bold little souls) are the nastiest to their feathered friends. But you can't have it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woffle Posted October 22, 2008 Author Share Posted October 22, 2008 oddly enough it's the complete opposite for us - the worse for pecking at the other chickens is Cindy our Light Sussex - she's the most 'skittish' and reluctant to feed from the hand / clucks VERY loudly when handled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia7455 Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I have been wondering if the more chickens you have the less tame they are likely to be, and if so what would be the best number to have to satisfy broodiness (mine!) yet to have them getting tame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 The least friendly of mine is my Bluebelle. Yes - this is my experience too. Pity as she's also the softest, and if she was friendly I'd carry her around all the time!! Most friendly of ours is our Silver Nick. But I don't know if this is partly because she's also by far the best layer, hence the greediest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 My Silver Sussex is not friendly at all, she will feed from my hand now but too much longer to pluck up the courage. My two hybrids are much better at being handled and don't complain much now when picked up but Esme the S Sussex make a real fuss. I am collecting 3 new hens and breeds next week so it will be interesting to see how they are as they are all pure breeds? I think it sometimes comes down to their individual personality but I think the breed does have quite a bit to do with it too particularly with the more 'flighty' types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furryelephant Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 My two girls (a Gingernut Ranger and a Magpie) are both really friendly.. both will come running to the door if they see us in the kitchen (hoping for a few stray sultanas!). They'll both eat from your hand but they only put up with a quick cuddle before flapping off to carry on eating Their favourite spot is perching on the top rail of the garden bench and they also come and sit on the bench with us when we're in the garden... I have a great picture of Kylie perching on my OH's arm like a parrot and a pirate!! However my friend has a Speckledy and a Bluebell... neither of who are remotely interested in people! I think a lot of "friendliness" is down to how you interact with your chooks... ours are fussed over and fed treats and are super friendly.. matey's are not fed treats and have less person contact and they aren't as friendly. Maybe ours are spoilt but we love them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 your maran must be quite unusually friendly (for a maran), mine is like most other people's on here - flighty, unfriendly and hard to catch. The dopiest, most docile, submissive chickens in the world must be cochins - my 2 balls of fluff wouldnt say boo to a goose! I think they are the broodiest chickens in the land too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 My cochin Skye is as daft as a brush, she will turn her head to one side and look at me with one big beautiful eye - goodness knows what she's thinking! She currently has one wing and her beak covered in white paint where she walked into a table I was painting and then tackled the paint-brush thinking it was edible!! I guess I've got the broody bit to look forward to - she's showing signs already - sitting on her egg a lot longer than Bobbie does - and if she get's the chance she will sit on Bobbie's egg too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 My cochin Skye is as daft as a brush, she will turn her head to one side and look at me with one big beautiful eye - goodness knows what she's thinking! Aww, Misty does that too, we are also convinced she knows her name, and when you talk to her she honks back. The cuteness makes up for the broodiness, you're lucky you just have the one cochin which means you wont get the "oh, you're broody so I will be broody" stage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moomin Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Problem is, I'm thinking of getting a couple of Pekins next year ('cos they look like little mini cochins and I've only got an eglu!). They have a tendency to be super broody too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
