How to pet a chicken?

[Cocotte]

flopperdoodle and loppertop, LOL! I'll have to remember that..

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I have lots of lap chickens and some just like me to pet them on the head, but I have 1 silkie/sultan mixed bantam hen named "Mrs. Fluffy Puffy" and she just comes up and jumps in my lap and sits on my leg and I pet her on her muffs and down her back. She is my cuddly girl! And my blue EE hen "Julia" likes me to pet her on her muffs. Then "Rose" ( BO hen ) likes me to pet her "waddles." It just depends on the chicken.

 

[Henmaster3000]

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!

Ahh, this made me smile. This statement is so very true of rooster behavior.

 

[ticketism]

Usually I just gently pet them on the wings or chest - Hands coming down from above, especially if they're foraging and not expecting it, tend to freak them out. Two of my girls were hand raised from hatching, so they're both really comfortable with being touched, handled, picked up and carried around, randomly cuddled, etc haha, but they still get scared if anything comes from above. My other two girls I got at POL so neither were used to being handled or touched at all. One doesn't mind and often seems to really enjoy it, like if she's scratching around by me and I just reach over to give her a little pet or a back-of-the-neck scritch, but the other one is still pretty skittish around people and really doesn't like being touched or held at all. Of course, sometimes I have to pick her up and touch her anyway, then she always wants to perch on my arm or shoulder and doesn't mind having the back of her neck or her chest stroked... Not for long though, she starts clucking then flapping then obviously pretty distressed after she's decided she's had enough. Really depends on the individual hen and how they were raised. Though yeah, anything from above and especially down the back is perceived as a scary threat.

 

[FortCoopy]

I owned a cockatiel years ago who taught me. My chickens agree with her training. She liked her face gently rubbed/petted slowly. The top of the head petted and rubbed with the thumb and forefinger in the same manner is a favorite. I find between waddles is also appreciated. My birds will drop their heads to get me to do more avian head massage. I believe that they are a little itchy and so this feels very good to them and puts them to sleep most often. I am careful not to press feathers in, but to work with the feather growth as to not cause discomfort.

 

[Raptor-tooth]

I'll agree that most of mine are chill with beard and hackles being petted. Occasionally gently across the back if they have relaxed onto my lap. I do have one little rooster though that really loves chest rubs and leans into it.