How to pet a chicken?

[LeahOregon]

Is there a particular place chickens like to be petted? Dogs like their ears and tummies scratched, cats like it under the chin, but what about chickens? I love giving mine a good cuddle, but want to know where their "sweet spot" is.

 

[Mahonri]

I have a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana hen that loves to be petted. She loves me to take care of her muffs beard, down her neck, along her back. She'll go to sleep right in my lap if I do it right.

 

[Illia]

Behaviorally speaking, touching a chicken often means in chicken language to back off or go away, but usually I like to pet my girls lightly near the chest or wings. This way they aren't so confused or offended - Often if you pet them on the back or between the shoulders, they can sense this as a warning or threatening move. It depends on how it was raised as a chick though.

In general, a tame hen can be petted in almost any manner, but the best thing to start with is the chest or wings.

 

[MagsC]

Agreed, ours like being lightly petted on the chest and a little bit on the wings.

 

[JoeandKatherine]

I have a 8 chickens and when i go to pet them they think I am a rooster and squat and spread their wings. So at this point I massage the back of the necks and just forward of the tail. I also rub them just under their chin like a cat. My silkie and orpington are pretty aloof and dont socialize with their humans very much.

Joe

 

[tunaoftheland]

I've got a couple lap chickens who like to hop up on my knee and have me stroke them like a cat, from their head down their back. I usually get tired of it before they do! But I've had them since they were day old chicks so I'm sure it'd be different if they'd been owned by someone who hadn't handled them much.

 

[daleyc]

I have an aggressive big rooster and when he attacks I grab him (off my leg!) and hold him firmly in my lap. After a few times he began to quietly carry on a happy conversation. I would stroke his big legs and feet and hackles. : ) After he is calm and wants to go I let him hop down. He looks back unsure of what he was doing, and contemplating another attack, but he just wanders off; a changed man... until tomorrow!

 

[Chicky Tocks]

My pettable chickens like to have their flopperdoodles (wattles) rubbed. Little on the lopperdop (comb) too.

 

[happyhensny]

flopperdoodle and loppertop!

LOVE IT!

 

[lemoniee]

This is a very informative and interesting topic, thanks! whenever i go down to touch/stroke my girls they too squatt down on the floor, i thiknk ill try stroking them on their chest or neck from now on, ive got one chicken who loves being picked up and being held in my arms but the rest get a bit wriggly after a min or so...