I'm SUPER excited!!!!!! I'm getting three day old black Japanese Bantams on March 3, and the suspense is KILLING ME!!! I'm going to be training my new chickens!
Reasons I'm excited, and reasons I'm doing this:
1. I tried clicker training before, but it was cut short when I found out my star pupil was a cockerel, and we had to rehome him...
2. I am in 4-H and show at the county fair. Having these chicks be trained to obey cues and commands will be very helpful in showmanship!
3. It will help tame them and be more like pets than last years chicks.
4. I get to show off in the 4-H club, and at fairs and shows! XD Nobody else around here clicker trains their chickens!
Things I will be teaching:
1. Jump onto my arm. (Cue - holding my arm across in front of my chest and tapping on it with the other hand, maybe adding a cue word or sound as well)
2. Give me a foot/shake. (Cue - holding out a hand like as if you were going to shake it's foot + saying "shake")
3. Peck a target/where I point. (Cue - tapping with my finger on the desired target)
Number one is the one I tried training my first chick. I had a measuring cup with oats in it and a clicker on top of the measuring cup's handle in my right hand. I would set him on a wood pallet about chest height, then hold my left arm out in front of him gradually farther and farther away. When he would hop to my arm, he would get a click and a treat! The Japanese bantams are great fliers, so they will be trained to jump to my arm from the ground.
I realize that they aren't like dogs and don't react to cue words the same way, but combined with the hand motion, number two will be accomplished.
Number three will be the easiest because this is one of the first things that hatchery chicks learn from humans, pecking!
I'm so excited!!! I can't wait!!! I'll keep you updated!
BTW, I made this account while I was clicker training the first trainee chick, that's where I got my username!
Reasons I'm excited, and reasons I'm doing this:
1. I tried clicker training before, but it was cut short when I found out my star pupil was a cockerel, and we had to rehome him...
2. I am in 4-H and show at the county fair. Having these chicks be trained to obey cues and commands will be very helpful in showmanship!
3. It will help tame them and be more like pets than last years chicks.
4. I get to show off in the 4-H club, and at fairs and shows! XD Nobody else around here clicker trains their chickens!
Things I will be teaching:
1. Jump onto my arm. (Cue - holding my arm across in front of my chest and tapping on it with the other hand, maybe adding a cue word or sound as well)
2. Give me a foot/shake. (Cue - holding out a hand like as if you were going to shake it's foot + saying "shake")
3. Peck a target/where I point. (Cue - tapping with my finger on the desired target)
Number one is the one I tried training my first chick. I had a measuring cup with oats in it and a clicker on top of the measuring cup's handle in my right hand. I would set him on a wood pallet about chest height, then hold my left arm out in front of him gradually farther and farther away. When he would hop to my arm, he would get a click and a treat! The Japanese bantams are great fliers, so they will be trained to jump to my arm from the ground.
I realize that they aren't like dogs and don't react to cue words the same way, but combined with the hand motion, number two will be accomplished.
Number three will be the easiest because this is one of the first things that hatchery chicks learn from humans, pecking!
I'm so excited!!! I can't wait!!! I'll keep you updated!
BTW, I made this account while I was clicker training the first trainee chick, that's where I got my username!
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