Gently put your thumb and forefinger on each side. To learn how to train your chickens to perch on your hand, scroll down! My best advice to anyone wanting to raise show chickens is: research—research—research. Gently pet the feathers on its back the wrong way. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Put your other hand on the chicken’s back. Chickens can and do eat eggs, so some people will give them to chickens as a snack, but it's not generally recommended that you encourage them to eat eggs (since this could, by extension, encourage them to crack and eat perfectly good eggs). Training is actually the communication between you and your chickens. With adequate treats and a call your chickens will recognize, you can train your chickens to perch on your hand, come when called, and even run an agility course! Learn more... Chickens are intelligent birds capable of learning a variety of tricks. Take your free hand and pull the chicken’s legs slightly backward. However, you will need plenty of your dog's favorite treats, a leash, and tons of patience. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Hold the food in your hand or place it in a small measuring cup that you can deliver quickly. wikiHow's. Chickens think and act as individuals, and training them with treats isn’t the same as Pavlov style physical conditioning. % of people told us that this article helped them. Train Your Chickens to Return to Their Coop. One of the most hilarious things to witness is a flock of chickens running towards you when you call. And one of them is to let them think it was their idea in the first place. In many ways training chickens is like training dogs, yet unlike dogs, chickens can learn after only one session. At the same time give your call. Reply. If your chicken is already comfortable around you, then the training will be quick. Here are tips to train your chickens to come when called. Try to train your chickens at least once a day since consistency will help them learn faster. There are many useful articles on this topic. Enter your coop and take a seat. Get involved in embryology, growing and managing a small flock of chickens. Put your hand across the widest part of the back. I never show up empty-handed though because I feel guilty the way they look at me with the ‘where’s my treat’ anticipation and I want to keep my girls happy. Our recent move 900 miles north from Virginia to Maine necessitated me figuring out how to transport chickens safely and easily. This shows the straightness of the keel. You must first build a trust bond with your chicken/duck. The flap their wings, roll their bodies, and run as fast as their little feet can carry them. Have you ever struggled getting your hens in their coop at night, or had trouble catching one of your flock when they need a health check? Gently set the chicken down. When you’re ready for the chicken to get off your hand, gently place your hand on the ground so it can step off. Lift your hand so the chicken's head points down and its back is against your chest. There are certain clucks that they use for different circumstances. But without practice, handling the chicken can become quite difficult. "Chickens like to eat dandelions the most.". By using our site, you agree to our. Remember, you are trying to train your dog not to do something that is among his basest instincts, the desire to survive. Note though that the hens will probably run to 'move out of your way' sometimes so they're basically respecting you! Here are some steps to teach your chickens to come on command: Stand in view of your flock, holding their favorite treats in your hand at their eye level. Sometimes, you may find that a local show will have a general section for children where you will be able to enter a hybrid, but this is not usually the norm. Train. My grandson wants to train his chicken for show I need a walking stick is there someplace I can purchase one. Gently but firmly close your hand and place the other hand gently on the chicken’s back. You also have to spread their wings out so that they are used to it when the judges do it. References. Before you try any basic commands, the chick must be familiar with you and calm in your presence. It lets exhibitors show off their chicken handling skills and compete for ribbons and other prizes. Put your index finger on one side of the keel and the rest of your fingers on the other side. Today, the laying down chicken was very responsive to the request to lay down and show us her wing, so I got the video camera out and here you go YouTube. Replies. How To Train a Chicken! The 4-H poultry program is part of the animal science project. Take your free hand and pull the chicken’s legs slightly backward. You should also say a command or make a sound using a training clicker. JavaScript is disabled. That’s because training of simple tasks just involves a few things—a hungry animal in a comfortable environment and a trainer with good timing. Imagine every time you step into your back yard, your tame chickens happily come running to you as fast as they can, flapping their wings for extra speed. Might be difficult for her to show. Move the hand holding the chicken up with the chicken’s head facing forward and away from you. For homemade treats, I would recommend several kernels of corn or a mashed up boiled egg. Preparing Your Chicken for Show 1. But I might need to get a different breed for her 1st showing. Choose a treat you know they love. Top 5 Ways Of Keeping Your Flock Warm In Winter, Managing Manure: What to do with all the poo, Sour Crop, Impacted Crop, Doughy Crop - Prevention and Treatments of Crop disorders, Raising a blind or partially sighted chicken. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 36,939 times. If you have already signed up for this 4-H project, come on in and get started. We have gotten so many questions about how we clicker train our girls, so we did a video. Pick up your chicken. Chickens can learn tricks surprisingly fast—often even faster than dogs. To learn how to train your chickens to perch on your hand, scroll down! You must log in or register to reply here. The year before you plan to show a chicken, attend an exhibition by the same... 2. 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