20 week old pullets- Don’t come when called

[Chold05]

Hi friends!

This is my 2nd batch of chickens. I have three 3 year old hens that listen extremely well.

I have five 5 month olds, but only 1 listens when I call.

I was very hands on with both batches when they were little but for some reason this new batch doesn’t listen.

I thought maybe the big girls were intimidating them (they still get chased and are very much 2 separate flocks still. Only 1 of the chicks is laying and she tends to come when called.) so I started locking the big girls up and practicing calling a treats for Little’s only.

Any other recommendations? Do you think they’ll listen better once they all start laying?

It’s making free ranging time extremely difficult. We have tons of hawks so I need to be able to call them in when necessary

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I didn't know chickens listening was a thing. Are you shaking the treat can when you call them? I personally have had no luck with getting chickens to come every time, even with treats.

 

[JedJackson]

Chickens have different personalities, so they will not all be the same. It's also a question of how hungry they are. Some don't want as much food or are better able to get what they need from scratching around.

 

[Chold05]

I didn't know chickens listening was a thing. Are you shaking the treat can when you call them? I personally have had no luck with getting chickens to come every time, even with treats.

Oh yes! My first batch (started with 6 but lost 3 over the years) are so well behaved. They come to treats (I make a choop choop noise) and they come running. They’ll even come when I walk by and say, “let’s go this way.” Maybe I was super spoiled the first go around.

I do shake the treats and make a specific noise but the new girls are stubborn.

I started making the noise when they were just chicks and putting feed in my hand. Then introduced treats with the call. But the new girls haven’t seemed as food motivated as my first batch so I’m not sure what else to try. Maybe I haven’t found the right treats for them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you think they’ll listen better once they all start laying?

Probably. Pre-POL pullets are like teenagers, they don't want to do anything you tell them to.

I've never had issue getting my younger birds to respond to the treat call but they definitely are more spotty on it than the adults. I think in my case it's more that the pullets see the adults running in for a snack and then follow because they're curious (or scared that there's a reason the hens are running) so they run over as well. So you might be better off letting the hens stay with them, and then maybe sprinkling treats in 2 or 3 different areas so the youngsters still get some, enough for them to make the link that call = treats.

 

[Officialchickensnuggler]

Hi friends!

This is my 2nd batch of chickens. I have three 3 year old hens that listen extremely well.

I have five 5 month olds, but only 1 listens when I call.

I was very hands on with both batches when they were little but for some reason this new batch doesn’t listen.

I thought maybe the big girls were intimidating them (they still get chased and are very much 2 separate flocks still. Only 1 of the chicks is laying and she tends to come when called.) so I started locking the big girls up and practicing calling a treats for Little’s only.

Any other recommendations? Do you think they’ll listen better once they all start laying?

It’s making free ranging time extremely difficult. We have tons of hawks so I need to be able to call them in when necessary

I’ve trained one of my chickens to call but my goodness if they never learn they’re absolutely nothing wrong with them their Brian’s smaller than a Brussel sprout especially if they’re super young! If u do want to try to train them tho use the biggest amount of treats safe for them ! And do two 5 min. Sessions a day no more no less and try training every day for 5 days if it doesn’t work stop for a whole then if u still want to try start again

 

[DLA]

Oh yes! My first batch (started with 6 but lost 3 over the years) are so well behaved. They come to treats (I make a choop choop noise) and they come running. They’ll even come when I walk by and say, “let’s go this way.” Maybe I was super spoiled the first go around.

I do shake the treats and make a specific noise but the new girls are stubborn.

I started making the noise when they were just chicks and putting feed in my hand. Then introduced treats with the call. But the new girls haven’t seemed as food motivated as my first batch so I’m not sure what else to try. Maybe I haven’t found the right treats for them?

Just keep at it, they're young but they'll learn. It took me a while to train mine, they just need to understand what you want them to do. if they see you as their leader then once they get what the command means they should start listening.

 

[Chold05]

I’ve trained one of my chickens to call but my goodness if they never learn they’re absolutely nothing wrong with them their Brian’s smaller than a Brussel sprout especially if they’re super young! If u do want to try to train them tho use the biggest amount of treats safe for them ! And do two 5 min. Sessions a day no more no less and try training every day for 5 days if it doesn’t work stop for a whole then if u still want to try start again

brains smaller than a brussel sprout made me giggle I'll try the 2 5 min sessions. thank you!