My buddy raises hens.  It’s frikkin’ awesome.  (This post’s headline refers to the black chicken in the fourth photo.  She looks like she wants to fight me.)

Hens are safe to hold, too — though they might try to get away, so you’ve got to hold their wings in place, gently but firmly.  It’s the roosters that can hurt you; they have large, lateral claws called “spurs” that can be sharp, and they’ll act aggressively to protect the hens.