Silkie chickens are well-known pets, especially outside of the farm world. Many people keep them in their apartments, backyards, and gardens, making great pets for households with children. This breed is known for its friendliness and good company, but do they like to be held?
Silkie chickens will bond closely with their owners, especially if they are raised from birth. They have a friendly temperament, and due to them becoming so attached to their owners, they will love to be held when tamed correctly, and they will love to sit in their laps or arms as often as they can!
Silkies are easier to care for than dogs, and their small and feathery appearance makes them more irresistible than larger breeds of chickens. So how can you raise Silkies, so they want to be pet, held, and touched? Let’s look!
Silkie Chicken Personality And Temperament
In some situations, beauty may only be skin deep, but this is not the case with silkie chickens. Silkie chickens have gentle, kind, and warm spirits right down to their core!
They are cute, quiet, and quirky and will often follow their owners around, especially if they have been hatched and raised by them. Many people keep silkie chickens because they are much more friendly and docile than other chicken breeds.
They will love nothing more than to spend all their time tucked under your arm, and they are not scared by nature, being comfortable and calm around humans. Silkies love human company and are generally more willing and comfortable with being held than other chickens.
They will also put up with young children and fast movements, where other chickens breeds may become startled.
Many of them love to cuddle, which can be even more special. Most animal lovers want their backyard best to be loveable, sweet, and kind, and this happens to be the very definition of silkie chickens!
However, it is essential to note that all animals will require enough love, attention, and care from their owners to build a strong foundation of trust and love.
If you’re raising silkie chickens, you can expect them to become highly attached to you.
How can you let them grow used to being held? Well, there are several things you can practice with them!
How To Train A Silkie Chicken To Like Being Held
Silkie chickens will need to get used to you, so if you have a few small ones, you may be happy to hear that you can easily train them, just like a dog or a cat.
This breed can be trained to come on command, enter their coop at night, and, best of all, be held!
Let’s look at how you can train your silkie chickens to like to be held:
Start Building A Sense Of Trust With Your Silkie Chickens
Just like any other pet, it would always be easier to tame your silkie chickens and train them from an early age, especially when it comes to something as intimate as holding and cuddling them.
Before you start interacting and socializing with your silkies, let them settle and adjust to their new home for about three days.
Once they do, you can start to talk to them and place them on your lap so they will get used to your smell and voice.
Practice talking to them using a calm and soft voice. Spend time with them daily and hold and pet them to make them understand your hand is a friend, not a predator.
When your silkie chickens are grown, they will trust you completely, and you will be able to pet them and hold them, including the roosters!
Practice Giving Your Silkie Chickens Treats
Like any other animal, the easiest and quickest way to reward silkie chickens for their good behavior is to reward them with treats. At first, it may seem like you’re bribing them into liking you, but this is the case with any animal.
Silkie chickens will love to receive treats such as sunflower seeds, raisins, oats, and mealworms! You can lure them into your lap, giving them a treat as positive encouragement for getting into your lap by themselves.
This may take some time, and you may need to place them on your lap a few times, but never forget to give them a treat! They will start associating you with good things and come running to you when they notice you!
Start To Hold Your Silkie Chickens More Frequently
Unlike other breeds of chickens, silkies love being close to you. However, if they are pretty new members to your flock or your first flock, you may have some difficulty handling them, as it is quite a big step from sitting on your lap to being elevated and moving.
Once you know your silkie chickens are comfortable with being around you and close to you, you can start to hold them by putting your dominant hand on their back, with the other underneath them to secure their legs.
Ensure that you hold your silkie close to your body without putting pressure on them. Then, after you have made sure they won’t be able to kick themselves free and get hurt in the process, you can start to walk around and do your chores.
If your silkie starts to get fussy, put them down, rewarding them with a treat. Increase the time you hold them by adding two minutes each day.
If they remain calm, you can extend holding times to fifteen minutes, rewarding them with a treat directly after putting them down.
As you continue training your silkies, they will eventually continue sitting on your lap, allowing you to hold them without trying to wiggle free!
Final Word
Silkie chickens make great companions, and they will have you laughing at their quirky behaviors of just wanting to be around and close to you at all times.
Remember, although silkie chickens are well-known to be affectionate and have human interaction, how much your silkie chicken will like to be held will depend on how much time you spend with them and how comfortable they grow around you!
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Sources
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/best-way-to-tame-a-silkie.1014246/