can chickens love people?

[kumokumo]

i was cuddling with my hen today, and i was wondering, do chickens love like dogs do? i’ve seen arguments on both sides, that they think you’re the head of the flock and are only acting according to that, but some people say that chickens can feel love towards their owners. i think some roosters can think that some people are their hens, i’ve had a rooster who always tried to mate with my hand and feed me. but my girl is a hen, and she’s been a sweet hen ever since she was a chick. i got 2 orpingtons because i heard they were friendly, one of them is the most non social chicken and will scream if you get close, and the other is a complete snuggle bug. she will sit in my lap all day and fall asleep if i let her. i just assumed she loved me and that was how she was showing affection. i think she thinks im preening her when i pet her, because when she’s growing new feathers, i’ll go through them gently with my nail and she really likes it. sometimes she’ll try and preen me (it doesn’t work out too well; i don’t have feathers). i don’t think she has any mating behaviors with me, she doesn’t squat when i pick her up and she isn’t looking for a nest when she’s with me. can chickens love their owners? she’s a pet btw. i am definitely not eating her, and i plan on keeping her past her egg laying years (all of my chickens are pets, they aren’t used for egg production or anything, but we do eat the eggs)

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This is an interesting question. I personally don't think anyone can answer it absolutely, because nobody knows what a chicken thinks or feels. This is just my opinion, so you can take it or leave it. I don't think a chicken can love or feel affection in exactly the same way a human does. But I do think they are capable of feeling affection the way a chicken does. So I think your chicken a) knows who you are, separate from any other human; b) enjoys your company, your voice and your touch in a way different from any other human; c) has a trust relationship with you that is different from that with any other human; d) has a special and unique emotional bond with you. And I think that is very special and beautiful! I also think your love for her is very special and you are blessed to have her.

 

[Mrs. K]

Big blue hen, gave the best answer.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Big blue hen, gave the best answer.

Thank you, Mrs. K.

 

[kumokumo]

This is an interesting question. I personally don't think anyone can answer it absolutely, because nobody knows what a chicken thinks or feels. This is just my opinion, so you can take it or leave it. I don't think a chicken can love or feel affection in exactly the same way a human does. But I do think they are capable of feeling affection the way a chicken does. So I think your chicken a) knows who you are, separate from any other human; b) enjoys your company, your voice and your touch in a way different from any other human; c) has a trust relationship with you that is different from that with any other human; d) has a special and unique emotional bond with you. And I think that is very special and beautiful! I also think your love for her is very special and you are blessed to have her.

i’ve been thinking about this a lot, i raised 4 (now 3, one passed away last winter) little week old chicks and she was always the sweetest. i know she especially adores me, because she will sit at my feet and always cuddle, but when kids or friends are over, i always love bringing her out so she can meet some new friends. she’s very patient, and i like to use her to make small kids comfortable with animals, especially chickens. i’ve stopped eating chicken because of her, i can’t help but think of her when i eat chicken lol. i wonder what would’ve happened to her if i didn’t impulsively buy chicks at the feed store, maybe no one would have noticed how sweet she was. i’m very lucky to have her, and im hoping she’ll live a long chicken life. i’m also curious, she’ll sit in most people’s laps if placed in them. does anyone else have super friendly chickens or sweet hens? it’s hard to realize how sweet some chickens are, because some of mine are straight up evil lol. i want to hear some stories from others

 

[SamLockwood]

Chickens don't really have the neural structure to process complex, abstract emotions like love or empathy. It's like expecting a 1980's personal data assistant to process the latest IOS: it just doesn't have the hardware.

That being said chickens are social animals and there's a lot of behaviors and interactions that are necessary to their well-being. Chicks will imprint on people, and even adult birds will socially bond with a human or humans if they spend enough time with their birds.

I try to spend time around my birds as much as possible, just hanging out with them so they get used to me as a familiar presence. Quite a few of them will seek me out just to interact with me, in fact one of my roosters gets downright testy if I don't pay a certain amount of attention to him.

If I hang out on my deck to "chill out" as I will often do whenever I get the chance, several of them will come up to hang-out as well: preening, sunbathing, or napping. I had one pullet that would nap on one of my feet until she got too bit. She'll try to groom me sometimes.

If it comforts you to interpret these behaviors as "love," feel free to indulge your fantasies. Personally, I prefer to understand my chickens as the savage little mini-dinosaurs they are rather than trying to shoe-horn them into a human mold. I tend to pick up a lot of naunces I never would notice otherwise, and it makes me a better chicken-keeper.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

had one pullet that would nap on one of my feet until she got too bit

? You bit your chicken?

 

[EmmaDonovan]

This is an interesting question. I personally don't think anyone can answer it absolutely, because nobody knows what a chicken thinks or feels. This is just my opinion, so you can take it or leave it. I don't think a chicken can love or feel affection in exactly the same way a human does. But I do think they are capable of feeling affection the way a chicken does. So I think your chicken a) knows who you are, separate from any other human; b) enjoys your company, your voice and your touch in a way different from any other human; c) has a trust relationship with you that is different from that with any other human; d) has a special and unique emotional bond with you. And I think that is very special and beautiful! I also think your love for her is very special and you are blessed to have her.

Very well said.

Chickens can certainly distinguish between safety/comfort/pleasure and danger/discomfort/pain. I think they associate safety/comfort/pleasure with their caregivers and often seek us out for that. It might not be love the way we experience love but it's chicken love.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally, I don't know if love is the right word. A fondness, however? Definitely

 

[FrostRanger]

@BigBlueHen53 said it perfectly IMO. While they may experience it differently, they do love