how to train a chicken to follow you

How To Train Chickens & What You Can Train Them To Do

You may want to identify your quickest learners first and then choose to work with them only at first. It only takes you making a few mistakes to completely undo weeks’ worth of training. When rewarding your chickens, you need to be instant with that treat. Chickens perceive time differently than humans, and they identify and react to their world much faster than most people. Introduce objects of different shapes and colors, rewarding correct responses.

However, we need to make sure they respond when they can’t see you or aren’t near enough to hear a bag being opened. They may see you walking to where it’s kept, or they may be nearby and hear the familiar crinkle of the bag. You don’t have to use black soldier fly larvae, but you do need to use a treat that your girls never stick their noses (er, beaks?) up at. Although I should warn you, it’s not for the faint of heart.

It may take weeks for the whole flock to respond reliably. This establishes the behavior while they’re still confined. Chickens respond well to routines and clear signals.

Having the ability to recall your birds makes for a safer flock and makes you a better chicken owner.

• Now we want to ensure it’s permanently engrained, so keep doling out treats once or twice a day after the girls come running at the sound of the coffee can.
• But, when guests came to our homestead, Rasputin became protective of me.
• Wear old clothes, and wash your hands after handling your chickens.
• I have seen fun videos of people training their chickens to run obstacle courses or solve puzzle games.

A well-trained flock is easier to care for, especially when free-ranging. chicken train app It makes managing your chickens simpler and keeps them safer from predators. Training chickens is easier than most people think. Positive reinforcement is crucial for training chickens.

Trade Treats for Pets

It took me no more than two weeks – max, to teach my first flock of chickens and ducks to respond to my whistle and the short calling phrase. How long it takes you to train your chickens to come when you call will depend on how diligently you can do it on a daily basis. Bringing other people into the mix can overwhelm and confuse the poultry birds, and cause delays or obstacles during the training. When training chickens to come when called I always conduct the treat reward right outside the door of their chicken run. If all of the birds don’t get to enjoy the treat during training, the birds get squeezed out of the activity will either stop coming when called or not learn to get with the routine in the first place. Choose something that you can cheaply and readily always have stockpiled, not something like apple chunks that you could forget to grab at the store, is only available seasonally on your homestead, and does not have a long shelf life.

Training your chickens can be a fun and rewarding experience that can improve their safety, health, productivity, and well-being, as well as deepen your relationship with them. Not only does it guarantee the safety of your birds, but it also reduces the likelihood of your birds damaging objects or harming people in their vicinity. This can make your life a lot easier when you are taking care of all the many chores you need to handle around the coop or on your homestead, and it can even help keep your chicken safe from danger. Many pet parents use it to help with routine care, easier movement into a carrier, calmer handling, and enrichment for curious backyard birds. Most chickens learn within a week or two if you’re consistent with routine and guidance. Whether you’re raising a handful of hens in the suburbs or running a larger homestead flock, a little consistency goes a long way.

Check for eggs frequently at first to reward chickens ASAP. With a little effort, your flock should catch on soon that the nest boxes are the right place to lay their eggs. With regular 15 minute training sessions, most chickens will learn this within 1-2 weeks. Break the skill down into small, achievable steps. While not as easy to train as dogs or cats, chickens are capable of learning through positive reinforcement training. Confident and out-going hens are less likely to be scared of the obstacle course elements.

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One of the most important things in training chickens is for them to be able to recognize what the “call” is. Chickens are creatures of habit and training them at the same time every day can help them form a routine. Using treats as positive reinforcement can be pivotal to their responsiveness. To effectively train your chickens to come when called, you need to use a simple command they can easily catch on to. Once you’re confident they have understood the prompts, you can move on to a more open space. That way, they’re not trying to jump out of the space during training.

How to Use Food Rewards Effectively

The remaining, tiny fraction of their thoughts is occupied by ways to get on your nerves, and that’s it. Before we get on to the actual nuts and bolts of training your chickens to respond to your call, you must understand the one and really only thing that is going to motivate them reliably. From there you can put them in the coop or run where they will be safe, or they can just stay next to you since your presence will be deterrent enough for most predators.

How to teach your chickens to come to you

To train your chickens to come when called needs a bit of patience and consistency. I’m also writing this because training chickens is tremendously useful. I’m writing it because it’s easy and most people don’t know it. I’m not writing this because training chickens is difficult. Repeat the instructions, use positive reinforcement, and avoid meting out punishments.

Advanced Tricks to Teach Your Chickens

Patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement are key to successfully training a chicken as a pet. Chickens can be trained to follow basic commands such as coop and hawk by using treats and positive reinforcement. Becoming a modern pioneer can be fun, educational, and rewarding, and we would love to help you on a journey to become more self-reliant and self-sufficient! Training your chickens is just one way to manage chickens on the homestead!

Chickens can jump, too, especially if you’re extending a delectable tidbit for them to grab. The birds remember the association of hand-food as they mature, even if I offer treats only once every couple of weeks. After a few days of this, I offer the babies dried mealworm bits on my palm. We’ve lost a number of eggs to inquisitive pecking, thanks to the kids’ use of empty buckets for egg collection. Be certain that they can clearly see what you’re doing; They’ll catch on quickly. To train chickens to recognize dinner time, use the same container–preferably one that is brightly colored and at least gallon-sized—to refill their feeders.

I give them the care they need, but I don’t handle the chicks any more than I have to such as to make sure they eat and drink. Of course, I continued to care for my chicks’ health. But later, when they started free ranging, they followed me everywhere and made it hard for me to do my homestead work. The first set of tame chicks we raised became beloved pets. Anytime we even open the sliding glass door to the back yard, they hear it and again, come running to the gate expecting to be paid attention to. Anytime hubby comes home from work and they hear the garage door open, they all run to the gate, knowing he’ll be out there soon to give them treats.

She has worked on a rural chicken farm built around marketing free-range eggs, where she managed the care for the poultry year-round. Sessions work best when they are part of a larger routine that includes balanced feed, clean water, secure housing, and low-stress handling. This can reduce stress during routine care because your bird is choosing to participate. Calling chickens to come to you is an extremely useful skill for their safety and makes catching them easier. Some skills may take days or weeks before the chicken understands what you want them to do.

Reasons Urban Rabbits Are Perfect for Small Farms

Teaching them to come when called allows you to quickly guide them to safety if danger arises. You must be able to work with their natural tendencies and limitations if you’re going to successfully train your chickens to come when you call. While it is possible to dive right into training chickens, it’s a lot easier and more rewarding to get some basics right. Chickens can talk to people by imitating the sounds they usually hear in their surroundings. To prevent your chickens from panicking, keep them near your body in the water, so they know they’re safe with you. You can also choose a hen that’s in a flock with a rooster, as she’ll be more used to crouching down when approached if the rooster covers her regularly.

• Surprisingly, chickens can recognize up to 100 faces of different people.
• Make sure that everyone gets some treats so that even the girls on the bottom of the pecking order have a reason to come when called.
• To start training your chickens to be friendly, begin by teaching them that seeing you means treats.
• She has worked on a rural chicken farm built around marketing free-range eggs, where she managed the care for the poultry year-round.
• These are all breeds that typically like to be around people, are smart, curious, and quite friendly.

Yes, this will definitely work with ducks too – my ducks all come running when they hear the feed bin rattle or when I shake the meal worm bag They are really a lot smarter than people give them credit for! They hear my voice and they come running. If they are in their enclosed run and they hear the slider, they all run to the door of the enclosure hoping I am coming to let them out or feed them. I continue to provide the positive reinforcement of worms when they come sometimes, but not every time.

Step 3: Mark the first touch

Begin the training in a safe and enclosed space, like inside the coop or a small run. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s distinct from everyday noises so your chickens don’t get confused. A trained recall command also helps when administering medication, applying treatments, or isolating a sick bird, making care much smoother. Chickens may not be traditional pets, but they are intelligent and can recognize their owners. Below are the key reasons why you should train your chickens to come when called. Whether you are a backyard chicken keeper or a small-scale farmer, teaching this skill can make a big difference in how you care for your flock.

Then, you can gather her up, taking care to keep her wings close to her body, and carry on with your task. A safe way to catch chickens in a confined area is to grab a large cardboard box and corner your chicken. So how can you do this safely without injuring your chook–or yourself for that matter. Maybe there is a predator in the area, or your chicken needs medical care. So, if not everyone is tucked in, and you want to get to bed, you can start treat-training your chickens paired with sounds.

Why Train Your Chickens?

Speaking in soft, reassuring tones during handling helps create positive associations. Practice short, positive handling sessions during evening hours when chickens are naturally calmer. Reduce handling stress by approaching chickens from the side rather than above, as predators typically attack from overhead. Most chickens will show noticeable comfort within 1-2 weeks of daily practice. Extend your hand with treats without sudden movements, rewarding any chicken that approaches.

You can start the training wherever you’re most comfortable. Training your chickens is simply rewarding their good behavior with food when they do exactly what you ask them to do. It helps to establish a routine with your chicken flock. Have you heard of the expression “unruly as herding cats? When not writing or juggling poultry, pets, and children, Ana works as an IT contractor and photography post-editor.

Always use clear, consistent commands or cues and ensure the safety and well-being of your chickens during training. Open up in the morning and your chicken will come and go as it pleases but will always return to the safety of the coop in the evening. A gradual change in routine that is consistently done will soon re-train your chickens. Before I reveal the secret to training your chickens, let me go over the basic fundamentals of training chickens.

But how do you train chickens to go somewhere you want them to? Chicken training is a difficult task, and it’s harder when they’re unfamiliar with their new place. While holding the chicken, it’s important to keep them safe and comfortable. Repeat these steps every day, so the chickens will easily identify your command. Chickens can also be taught to be tamed around people, to be picked up, to willingly go in the coop at night, or to stay in the yard.

Dole out some of the larvae, and while the girls are eating it, shake the coffee can full of pennies. So, pick a time when the girls are nearby, or even better, do this in the run while the girls are still inside. The entire process takes roughly a week, but you may be surprised to find your birds have it figured out within a couple of days.

If your chicken panics, go back a few steps in training and try again. You can remove the harness, feed it again, and repeat it for a few days. The worst thing you can do is choose an ill-fitting harness. To eliminate a chicken noise, spray them with water when they’re being loud. Chickens can also be home pets, not just in the backyard or in a farm. Come evening, she’s right back in there with him, and he’s chomping hay all around her without disturbing her precious eggs.

The best time to establish a strong bedtime routine is when you first bring your chickens home. Training chickens to return to the coop each evening ensures that they’re protected from predators like foxes, raccoons, or owls that become active at night. This blog will walk you through the process of guiding your flock into a reliable bedtime routine. Chickens are creatures of habit, and with the right introduction, routine, and encouragement, they’ll quickly learn where home is. In time, your chickens will forget about their new favorite roost and remember that home is truly where they feel the most comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, this means you will have to start over with confinement for 1-2 weeks.