How do your chickens show affection to you?

[crunchygranola]

Just curious on how your guys’s chickens show affection to you (if at all). I have SGEs and they are very friendly with me and love attention and to perch on me.

 

[FrostRanger]

Mine perch on or near me, pick at my feet, follow me to see what i'm doing and Ginkgo has a particular call that reminds me of my late girl Rosemary (who passed from wet fowl pox last year along with her flockmate Sage) made when I came to see them. Speaking of Rosemary, while some can't turn their back on or bend over due to an aggressive bird, if I bent over - such as when collecting eggs - she would jump on me to perch on me and while she was on my shoulder, she groomed me and occasionally pulled my ear lol, it was so cute! Sage (pictured in my profile pic) was my most skittish bird and would NOT let me hold or pet her and would complain if I did. Even though she wasn't a fan of handling, she still showed she loved me by by picking at my feet, hanging out near me and occasionally perching on my shoulder

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Just curious on how your guys’s chickens show affection to you (if at all). I have SGEs and they are very friendly with me and love attention and to perch on me.

That's what mine do, peck at my feet, ride my shoulder like a parrot, sit on my lap of i sit down, etc. Funny how they have preferences, too. I have some that dislike being handled but follow me around, or if i haven't been out for half hour, they'll come up on the porch and peek at the windows, lol. Some like to be scratched, some don't want you to touch them. Little personalities.
I love my girls.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My males tolerate me holding and carrying them around once I catch them. My calico princess does the same. The rest would rather just be left alone period.

 

[Mrs. K]

When I first started, I trained a group to approach me, and jump up on me, but I found I really didn't like it. I just like to watch them.

 

[Sally PB]

I don't know if my chickens are showing affection by sitting on my lap or if I'm just projecting my thoughts onto their actions. But I like it when they do sit on my lap.

 

[Tulipmasteer]

I’m hoping this is a sign of affection and not them attempting to tenderize me, but my pullets scrape their beaks against me in a downward motion. If they do it on skin a little too hard it hurts a little and I have to scold them lol! Besides that one of my Easter eggers loves to sit on my lap and be stroked like you’d stroke a cat, and will stretch out her neck and go to sleep. Chickens are a lot more affectionate and expressive than I had been led to believe!

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

 

[crunchygranola]

When I first started, I trained a group to approach me, and jump up on me, but I found I really didn't like it. I just like to watch them.

I trained mine to jump up on my shoulder. Became a bit of a problem when I wore tank tops with three chickens trying to squeeze on one shoulder…

 

[Squawkers]

I’m hoping this is a sign of affection and not them attempting to tenderize me, but my pullets scrape their beaks against me in a downward motion. If they do it on skin a little too hard it hurts a little and I have to scold them lol! Besides that one of my Easter eggers loves to sit on my lap and be stroked like you’d stroke a cat, and will stretch out her neck and go to sleep. Chickens are a lot more affectionate and expressive than I had been led to believe!

Mine do the same, usually wipe their beaks on me after a particularly messy meal.