How To Tame Your Chickens

Treat your hens to some tasty worms when you’re in the garden and handle them regularly when they are young and you might be surprised at how confident they get. It’s not uncommon for chickens to feed out of your hand or even test their luck by hopping through the front door to begin an adventure into your home. All you need to do to tame your chickens is to handle them from a young age. If you have children get them involved, feed them from your hand and hold your chickens comfortably.

A young boy holding his beautiful, tame chicken

A young boy holding his tame hen, who obviously loves being picked up

Handle Your Chickens When They Are Chicks

If you want tame chickens you are best buying them when they are young, usually around a couple of weeks old. If you can regularly handle them as they grow up they will learn to enjoy it, and may even hop onto your lap for a tasty treat in return.

If you have found a breeder with some chickens who are little older that this, then ask whether they have been handled, because sometimes the breeder will regularly pick them up making them comfortable with being held from a young age.

Which Chicken Breeds Are Most Tame?

If you are looking for a breed that is typically more tolerant of frequent handling then go for a Silkie or an Ornamental Bantam Breed like the Japanese Bantam. Orpingtons are also great chickens to have as pets. They have wonderful personalities and lay beautiful, brown eggs. It’s also very apparent that Orpington chicks like to jump up on you when feeding them, they love human contact.

An Orpington chicken with beautiful pale ginger feathers

Why Are My Chickens Not Tame?

The reason why your chickens aren’t tame is probably because they weren’t handled enough when they were chicks. They need to be confident in the fact that you are keeping them safe and healthy, and even though you might be doing all you can, if your chickens weren’t handled enough when they were young they just might never want to be picked up or stroked.

You can always try taming untamed chickens by offering food from your hand. In some cases quite flighty birds have gained confidence in their owners after time and have completely changed around, but this takes a lot of time and perseverance.