Can you pet chickens?

[Advnt05]

I went to a commercial blackberry farm yesterday to pick my own blackberries. The place had chickens that wandered out among the vines eating bugs I guess. One particular chicken followed me up and down the row staying close to my feet the entire time.
Can you pet chickens? If I tried, would he have flown upwards and pecked out my eyes leaving me to rot in the berry patch?

[diz#1fan]

Advnt05: i don't know why, but your post made me laugh so loud. i can't stop laughing!!!but that is a very good question. i have never tried. still laughing, and will probably laugh everytime i see a chicken [img]graemlins/silly.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laughing.gif[/img]

[imported_PolyGirl40]

Yep - some chickens do indeed let you pet them.

[Advnt05]

I still have my doubts about the chicken. Maybe some are domesticated enough (such as Mike the headless chicken: http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/ )to let you pet them but they can turn on you like a cat. My friend's cat will rub on your leg and purr. He'll even let you pet him for about 1 minute before the demon inside kicks in and he bites and scratches you.

[lovewalt]

My neighbors have chickens and some of them do like to be petted.One in particular "Buddy" the rooster acts more like a dog.He comes running to greet them when they pull in to the driveway and crows at the door wanted to be let in.The do let him in for a few minutes on ocassion. Most of the others just run away but another rooster "Big Roo" isn't friendly at all. They keep him penned up becasue he will charge after you !

I would say that the one following you was more of a "Buddy" variety. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[NYdaily]

He was probably looking for the little critters your shoes kicked up from the dirt.

... or he just liked the look of you!

[Jeri Lynn]

What a great post!! There was a big chicken a town over from us. It lived on these people's porch, it was not on a farm, their house isn't even considered in the country, it was on a somewhat busy road. This big white chicken would walk up and down the street, no dogs ever seemed to bother it. The funny thing is, it lived on the porch of this house but belonged to the people two houses down...and it ate hotdogs. I heard he died last winter. I kind of miss seeing him on my way to the mall.

[Advnt05]

Now a chicken that eats hot dogs is my kind of bird. I hope it was beef and not a chicken dog. Why would a chicken eat beef anyway? Have you ever seen a chicken eye a cow and salivate? It's amazing that the dogs didn't bother it. I think chicken's walk with an air of confidence that frightens your typical domesticated dog. My friend had a duck that scared the mess out of his dog (and me now that I think about it).
I still am not sure you can pet one. Have one as a pet...maybe...but actually pet it? Who volunteers to try it this weekend?

[fupresti]

Do the chickens have large talons?

[pedro2112]

Do the chickens have large talons?

Wow, I'm surprised no one got this movie reference. Especially considering the popularity of the movie.

[Advnt05]

It is funny referring to Napoleon like that. You can probably do that through a variety of situations. I tell my wife all the time to "fix your own quesedilla".

[Patricia]

Ahh! I was doing a search for something else and the chicken thread popped up.

This has to be one of the funnier icot threads.

[tyandskyesmom]

Skye (my 3 year old) absolutely loves Chickens...they can do no wrong! She has three idential stuffed chicks...ChiChi, ChaCha, and ChoCho. Well they're identical except for ChiChi whi is the oldest (she got him when she was one) who has seen a lot of lovin'! She also has a whhite blanket with ducks on it which when she was a baby she insisted were chickens so it's name is ChiChi Beese (don't ask!) and she has every book she can find about chickens. She would sit at the zoo in the petting area waiting for a chicken to want to be pet...I mean anyone could pet a goat! Her eyes light up at the sight of a chicken...on TV, a real one, a cartoon one, a stuffed animal one...you name it, she loves it!

I better keep her away from this scary chicken thread!!!

[ChipnDaleGal]

I still have a lot of residual chicken fear from my childhood. My mom would make me gather the eggs and the hens did not give them up willingly. I had to use my Romper Room hat to push the hen into th corner of the nest so I could take the egg. Got pecked plenty!!

[disneynarula]

I still have a lot of residual chicken fear from my childhood. My mom would make me gather the eggs and the hens did not give them up willingly. I had to use my Romper Room hat to push the hen into th corner of the nest so I could take the egg. Got pecked plenty!!

OMG this is so funny. This is the funniest post ever.

[Advnt05]

I can't believe this thread was revived. I can add to the Chicken story now as there is now a Rooster involved. There is an abandoned chicken house where I mountain bike. I guess they got everyone out except this escaped Rooster. He walks around the State Park and eats bugs and sings. Last week, he came up to my car and followed me around the car. I think he figured out he can eat dead bugs off the fronts of vehicles. He's pretty enough to pet but I don't dare try. Roosters have a little ruffian in them. They'll get you when you're not looking.

[PirateLover]

He walks around the State Park and eats bugs and sings.

LOL! I just got a picture of the rooster from Robin Hood... "Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally Golly, what a day!"

[TheDuckRocks]

LOL! I just got a picture of the rooster from Robin Hood... "Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally Golly, what a day!"

LOL It's back!
Did I ever tell you about the time when my kids were little and I told them I was never a baby like other people, but was a chick that my mother (who was a witch) turned into a little girl?
My middle kid Todd, believed it for years. The icing on the cake was when Halloween rolled around unknowingly my mom hung this huge witch poster on her front door. Sealed the deal.

[Advnt05]

Chickens do have talons. Thats what they use in **** fighting. They've also mastered the art of the "bluck..bluck..bluck" sound that lulls you into a false sense of security before they pounce on you making you break out your romper room hat.

[Disney Doodle]

For several years we have visited a cafe during a pleasant walk whilst on holiday in Cornwall called The Hermitage Tea Gardens. When my children were very young (probably around 10 years ago), we were there and they noticed a friendly chicken walking around the tables. Her name was Paxo (on account of she kept stuffing). As quick as could be, she lightly pecked my son's hand and made him drop his biscuit (cookie) and ate it before anyone could do anything. She was very friendly other than this and apparently lived in the cafe owners house choosing to sleep on their sofa. They do not know where she came from, she just appeared there one day having a fight with a dog. Apparently Paxo was winning. Several years later we visited the cafe again and mentioned the chicken to the owners and asked what had become of her and they explained that she was still there but now preferred strawberry ice cream to biscuits and sure enough she appeared walking between the tables. About three years ago we again visited the cafe, but alas Paxo had died of old age.

She was certainly an unusual chicken but did appear to like being fussed over.

Angie