Poll: What kind of tricks do you teach your chickens?

[maryann momhen]

When I hold treat over my arm my Buff Orpington and Rhode island red will jump up and perch on my arm. Ginny Weasley (RIR) is starting to get a little heavy, but Lady Buffington is still light. The demon Crowley ,( 3yro barred rock) never wants to go in so I just run her around the yard until she runs to the pen gate. That's as trained as she'll ever be.

 

[darlenesmith88]

I have ISA Browns. One of them, Blondie, will jump on my arm upon command and I give her a crumb of bread. Then I tap my shoulder and say "up" and give her another crumb of bread after it jumps up on my shoulder. I can be standing anywhere in the coop and command it and it will jump up on me. She is such s uniwue bird. She is 6 weeks old.

 

[Spartan22]

I throw a couple of worms in the run and I watched them go back and forth carrying the same worms for 15-20 minutes like they're playing a game of football

 

[EileenC]

I've taught Tweety, my house chicken, to get up on my hand or up on my legs when sitting on the floor by saying "up". She also knows "down" when I want her to get down. She comes when I tell her "come" and pat the floor. Sometimes she comes when I call her. When she is outside and it's time to go in, I'll tell her "come Tweety" or "come on let's go inside", she comes running and hops up on the door sill and goes into the house. When I let her out of her cage down in the basement, she races me to the top of the stairs. She is such a character.

 

[PlymouthRockBBredSebright]

Hey! My chickens jump on my arm, come when called, so on. I have read many people's comments stating that they trained their hens to squat when they want to pick them up, but actually, you DID NOT train them. This is natural hen behavior. When a hen is submissive to something ( usually a rooster or higher-ranking hen) and it stands over them, or the rooster or hen places a foot on it's back, the hen will raise it's tail slightly and squat down with its wings out a tiny bit in submission, not because of "training". Thats why it does it when you go to pick it up, because your hand is on its back. Your hen simply thinks of you as dominate over her.