How to Raise Mild-Mannered Chickens
Raising friendly, mild-mannered chickens requires a hands-on approach. Choosing a breed that's known for being friendly -- a Silkie or a Buff Orpington, for example -- will greatly increase your chances of raising a friendly chicken. High-production laying birds, such as Leghorns, often lack interest in human companionship, though some can be friendly if hand-raised. Gender plays a role in a chicken's temperament as well; hens are generally more docile than roosters.
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Instructions
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Purchase day-old chicks from a hatchery or mail-order supplier. If you have a broody hen, you can let it hatch some fertile eggs and then collect the chicks the day they hatch. The advantage of using a hatchery is that many chicken varieties can be sexed at hatching, so you can purchase just hens, or hens and a single rooster, and create a harmonious flock.
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Handle your chicks several times a day. Pick up each chick and hold it for a few minutes. A chick can't regulate its own body temperature, so will enjoy being held. This is also an excellent time to check each chick to be sure it's thriving -- look at the beak, eyes and vent to be sure they're clean and free of discharge.
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If your chicks are in the house, set up the brooder in a room you visit frequently. Just the sound of human activity and voices can help acclimate your chicks to people.
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After the first week, begin bringing your chicks a treat each time you visit. Chicks love mealworms, cereal and bits of grass or lettuce. Offering a treat helps them associate people with something pleasant; as they grow, your chicks will come running when you approach.
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When your chicks are old enough to move to an outdoor coop, continue to visit them daily and bring them treats. Pick up your young chickens regularly as they mature to keep them tame and friendly. Once you've established a good relationship with your growing chicks, you can be sure they'll continue to be mild-mannered and friendly when they reach adulthood.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're raising a show chicken, get it used early on to being bathed and to spending time in a travel crate; this way, it'll be calm when you get it ready for a show.
Silkies, Wydanottes, Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds are noted for being friendly, so choose from these breeds to raise mild-mannered chickens.
Avoid straight-run chicks (those that can't be identified as male or female until maturity) if you want to be sure you have all females.
Don't give chickens uncooked egg as a treat. While they like the taste, giving them raw egg could cause them to develop a bad habit -- egg pecking.
If you're handling small chicks in the house, keep them away from other pets, such as cats and dogs, which may see them as prey.
While chickens can be handled by all age groups, be sure that children approach chicks quietly and hold them gently.
References
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