About Me

My photo
I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Give A Chicken A Chance

I was reading the Bedlam Farm Journal this morning. I subscribed to it, so I get alerts for every entry. One entry in particular made me flinch. Read here and you will know why.Coquette

I know chickens are not for everyone, but you have to give them a chance, and you have to know how to lure them in to be friends with you and enjoy your company.

Usually, you have to get them very young or as a chick, and pay a lot of attention to them. Hold them, talk to them. Give them treats like I did Phoenix. Phoenix gets a plate of lima beans or I will cut some corn off my cob, if we have cornbread he likes to have some on a little plate of his own.

But food is not the only way to a chickens heart. All chickens love to have under their wings, in the pit rubbed. They love to have the back of their neck scratched.

I have so many stories of proof that chickens do love humans and want their attention and affection.

Take Blue for instance. He is always up for my affection. He will make the sweetest little cooing sounds to me and then I give him a good massage under the wings. He stands right there and loves it. There is no food involved in this exchange, just love and affection. 

All my roosters that are affectionate to me will dance for me. Phoenix and Blue do it all the time.

Bonnie and Clyde, they love to be held. Especially Bonnie. She will fly right up onto you and snuggle down and be so content.

You could hold Phoenix all day and he wouldnt mind. 

Look at Hank, that recent picture of Hank and my Mama, he cooed and just talked away to her. 

You can go out and pick up most any of my chickens and cuddle them without protest.

It is because I have spent time with them. Some more than others. 

Now I wont lie, I do have a few, that are just out of their minds. Take Alan for instance, as hard as I tried to get him to warm up to me and love me, he refused and to this day is always looking for a chance to tear me to pieces. He is just an aggressive insane rooster. That is why he is kept penned.

Then there is poor Everett. I talk to him all the time, he is a nervous bird. I can tell that he wants to be friends, but his fear just overwhelms him and he runs from me all the time.

Some breeds are just predispositioned to be friendly, like the giant cochins. They are very laid back and will tolerate handling easily. Same goes for my silkie hens Thelma and Louise.

Lets not forget Rod. My white Sultan rooster. He LOVES me. I can just talk to him through the pen door and he gets all excited. Starts dancing and clucking. If I pick him up then he is just the happiest boy you could ever want.

Some chickens are not as bright as others. The same goes for any species, including humans. So if your chicken is insane like Alan, or the best house chicken in the world like Phoenix, its because they are all individuals and everyone is different.

I am writing this in the event that Mr. Katz may take the time to come over and visit my journal. I did send him a short email and a couple of pictures. I doubt he will, as he is a famous and busy man. But, just in case he does, I would like to sway one more person, that is a professed animal lover, to give chickens a chance. You just have to know how to be with a chicken, thats all it is.

Here are the two pictures I sent him. I found Shelby and Phoenix relaxing one day last year out on the porch. I told her to remove her hands to show that Phoenix was not being held down and that he was actually relaxing and enjoying her company. He never jumped up, never moved, just gave me that look, like WHAAAT? LOL

 

 

 

 

Photobucket Photobucket

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cute pics. I guarantee that chickens like to be held. I had a pet rooster as a child and my Mom said that I carried it with me all the time. I remember the rooster and he would come to me and wait to be picked up.

Jimmy

Anonymous said...

Well... now I have to admit I started laughing when I saw the subject title!! lol Those are the cutest pictures and the chicken is so little looking. What pretty colors it is wearing! I had a pet rooster for years when we lived on the farm. Mom even let me bring him in the house when he was little. We didn't realize it was a rooster until he started to grow. lol That picture is too cute with him leaning back and resting. Have a wonderful week and thank you so much for the compliment. Hugs, Janie

Anonymous said...

I wish I would have known all that as a child...when I was quite fearful of our chickens and hated to go in and gather eggs.  I could have had 20 or so new friends....instead I felt they were out to get me.  Linda in Washington state

Anonymous said...

Hi Kelly,  I really, really enjoy reading about your chickens.  This entry was so beautiful.  I am sitting here with my eyes filling up as I read about someone that loves animals so much.  You must not have a mean bone in your body.  Why can't the whole world be so good and kind?!  We would all get along so much better.  Keep up the good work.
                                             Marlene
   http://journals.aol.com/domsmom27/one-day-at-a-time

Anonymous said...

Aww I find it sad when people can't find that same relationship that you or I have with our chickens.  I find them far from dumb actually!  And each one has their own personality.  Maybe you should send him some links to us chicken lovers journals ;) lol  He may change his mind  IF he come around to read.  

Anonymous said...

My Dad even had mean insance vicious fighting roosters that had killed many a chicken in another fight, but when he came into the yard, they turned into big babies.  He showed me when I was really little how to hold them, where to pet them and they'd 'gentle up' as he'd put it, almost hypnotized.

Your Shelby is getting to be such a grown up little lady.  I know you're proud of her.  She's not a baby anymore but will always be your baby.

Nelishia
http://journals.aol.com/nelishianatl/Prayingandbelieving/

Anonymous said...

I bet you did FLINCH when reading that!  Maybe the chickens just don't like him!!!  Hmmm  I remember you showing the photos of Shelby with Phoenix.  Some people just don't have the patience to deal with the animals either.  Maybe he'll read back on your journal & see that just maybe he might be wrong.  Let us know if you get a reply from him.

Hollie

Anonymous said...

I missed this entry Kelly ~ so glad I looked back and found it ~ I enjoyed reading about all your chicks ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

I enjoy our chickens even though they aren't as tame as yours and I hardly would call them "dumb as rocks". Your chickens are smarter than some people I know!!  I maintain an animal will be as smart (or dumb) as the owner and the time the owner puts in to them.  Let us know if you get a reply.
xxx
Lisa

Followers