# Being friendly or challenging me



## pulcini80 (Sep 23, 2013)

All if my chickens are 18 wks old... My rooster (BR) and one of my hens (RIR) have started walking up to me and not moving when I walk towards them to shoo them off. (I'm honestly intimidated Lol). I hold a few that I know are sweet. Thing is, these two have always been standoff-ish. This hen and roo are always together and obviously the top two in pecking order. I can't tell if they are wanting me to pick them up or going to attack. I guess I need to get over me fear and try to pet them or pick them up and see what happens.


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

How about just walk through them? Walk big in your flock and do not get out of the way for any single bird. A rooster won't take pity on you or care if you are hurt if he takes a notion to put you in your place, so you need to communicate on his level. 

If you are intimidated by a chicken, things are going to be very rocky in your future with the flock, particularly with a rooster in the flock. Make him and this top hen move when you walk, if they do not move when your legs swing forward, they can be booted out of the way...I'm betting they move. It's important that you do not move in hesitant and timid ways within your flock if you would want to be able to manage them.


----------



## pulcini80 (Sep 23, 2013)

I will try this! It's fine when I'm inside the coop with them. When I let them out to free range I will go about my business working on the property or playing with my kids...after being out for a few minutes these two will walk up to me....and I let it freak me out. Stupid, I know. I have 8 and hold 4 of them every day. Thank you for your advice!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Do you hand out treats?


----------



## pulcini80 (Sep 23, 2013)

I do! They don't seem angry, just sort of stalking me. Lol. Is that what they are wanting? More treats?


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

pulcini80 said:


> I will try this! It's fine when I'm inside the coop with them. When I let them out to free range I will go about my business working on the property or playing with my kids...after being out for a few minutes these two will walk up to me....and I let it freak me out. Stupid, I know. I have 8 and hold 4 of them every day. Thank you for your advice!!


You'd really freak out at my place!  I can't make a move on this place without being shadowed and hungry birds hovering around whatever I am doing. I don't hand out treats of any kind but they stand there anyway...they even come up on the porch and stare through the windows..waiting...and waiting.

Whenever they get too close to wherever I'm walking or whatever I'm doing, I'll reach out and goose them or touch them and they will get to moving. I never hold a chicken...when one hops up in my lap~without the presence of food being in the picture or any anticipation due to food having BEEN in the picture in the past~I will gladly hold them but until then I'm assuming they don't particularly like being held by a human.

Haven't had a chicken in the past 37 years gladly volunteer for cuddles, so I'm thinking it's not quite natural for chickens to get cuddles.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Probably. These are the two, as you already guessed, that are the leaders of the flock. And the recognize you as the source of those treats.

If the roo is going to challenge you for dominance there are signs that would be hard to miss. Some foot stomping, reaching down and picking things up and shaking them. Its almost universal in that behavior. I've yet to see one of mine not do it. Of course you'd have to be facing them to see it.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Bee said:


> You'd really freak out at my place!  I can't make a move on this place without being shadowed and hungry birds hovering around whatever I am doing. I don't hand out treats of any kind but they stand there anyway...they even come up on the porch and stare through the windows..waiting...and waiting.
> 
> Whenever they get too close to wherever I'm walking or whatever I'm doing, I'll reach out and goose them or touch them and they will get to moving. I never hold a chicken...when one hops up in my lap~without the presence of food being in the picture or any anticipation due to food having BEEN in the picture in the past~I will gladly hold them but until then I'm assuming they don't particularly like being held by a human.
> 
> Haven't had a chicken in the past 37 years gladly volunteer for cuddles, so I'm thinking it's not quite natural for chickens to get cuddles.


That goosing part is always fun. There's that whole scoot, scuttle thing going on to avoid being touched.


----------



## pulcini80 (Sep 23, 2013)

The treats I give them is scratch or occasionally meal worms. Is this not a good idea? I'm starting to think my freaking out is from other chicken owners horror stories and maybe I need to just relax and enjoy them. You make complete sense! Thanks.


----------



## pulcini80 (Sep 23, 2013)

Thank you both!


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

pulcini80 said:


> The treats I give them is scratch or occasionally meal worms. Is this not a good idea? I'm starting to think my freaking out is from other chicken owners horror stories and maybe I need to just relax and enjoy them. You make complete sense! Thanks.


If they are free ranging, you really don't need to give treats. Come winter if you want to throw some in the bedding on a snowy day so they can have a little activity, it's a neat thing...but not necessary.

Yes...relax and enjoy them, but be on the alert about your rooster and make him yield to you when you move around. You don't have to be mean or pushy, just assertive. I love interacting with my rooster as we walk along..it's sort of like an old dance between he and I, for I've had him 6 yrs now. No cuddles but when I have to handle him, he's gentle and easy to manage.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Bee is going to cringe when I tell you about one of mine. Now mind you, I've had as many as 20 males in different pens. Never a problem with any of them. But then there's Bobble. Bobble is a poor specimen with physical challenges so he's stayed with me for almost 8 years. No one was going to forgive him for those physical challenges or so I told myself. 

Bobble is a Silkie and thinks he rules me. Not any other bird, just me. When he forgets his manners he gets shoved around, tumbled, tumbled some more until he screams. That's when I know he's learned his lesson and will behave himself, sometimes for months. Now that he's getting to be an old man I worry that its liable to kill him when I make him submit to my superiority. 

Or then there's Shoester. Shoe is a tiny little d'Uccle. When he went after my hubs, I started asking other breeders what's up with that. Evidently the little D boys allow one human, I am Shoe's human. Its hilarious to see that tiny thing stalking a man and watching that man run for the hills. Luckily I can corral Shoe by calling him and putting him in his pen.


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Yeah...I'm cringing...


----------



## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Wherever I go.. Wherever I am .. They are there, right behind me! Lol. Sometimes they try to get In my car! Baha! I also noticed they don't move when I'm coming in the driveway. I thought this was strange. They just stand there. Even when honking they just stand in the middle of the drive staring at me. Weird..


----------



## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

There's just something sweet and heart warming to be greeted by every animal on the place when your truck rolls in the drive...even if it's because they know the truck brings feed from the feed store and the food bringer is inside!


----------

