Hockey Stick

[CalgaryFarmer]

Please do not be overly critical, I am new to this.

I found that a hockey stick is good for coralling the chickens to get them where I want them to go, usually back to the coop. Sometimes that involves a very gental pat on the bum.

I also find that when I am handing out treats and some hen wants to chase other hens away from the treats that I use the hockey stick to not so gently poke or bonk the offending chicken.

Thoughts?

 

[mortie]

I use my foot to nudge chickens through the run door when I put them away.

I am not sure I'd bother much with trying to interfere with the pecking order. It kind of is what it is and it goes on whether you're looking and armed with your stick or not. Also sounds like a lot of trouble to go to, hauling the stick around all the time. I'd just spread the treats out and let the chickens do what they're going to do.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I thought everybody had a chicken stick!
A longe whip works good too for when I need to chase a stray chicken across the yard and back to his pen.

 

[mortie]

I find luring them with treats to be much more effective than chasing them. When I chase them, I can't really direct where they go, and often they go exactly where I don't want them. If I stand by the door with treats in hand, they come running to me! Then sometimes they just need a little nudge with my toe when they dawdle in the doorway.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

If I try to lure an escaped chicken back into the pen with treats that results in 20 more chickens escaping from the pen while I have the gate open. So I pop the longe whip and all the chickens run into the hen house, then I open 1 of the gates and pop the whip again and the escaped chicken runs back into the pen.

 

[mortie]

I toss the treats into the run and no one escapes, they're too busy eating. If I just stand there holding a treat then yeah, chaos happens. A lot of times when I go to the run door they just follow me because they expect treats and then I just shut them in. I'm glad luring works for me since I have no lung whips to be popping lol.

 

[RonP]

Plastic garden rake....

 

[LogCabinChicks]

I have this certain way of saying "chick-a-chick" and they come running to me, where ever I am--but I always have treats in hand when I say it. I find that mine were totally food motivated and trainable.

 

[Athena116699]

Funny I though I was the only one that uses a hocky stick. works great all I do is pick it up and the girls go home.