Belling Rooster or chickens

[Ledgeroad Chickens]

Hi - New member here. The chickens sometimes wander off into the bushes when I let them out. Don't leave the house without them being returned to the pen but they are sometimes hard to locate without running to all their hangouts. Has anyone ever put a bell on a bird so that you can locate them easier or just keep track of them? Got a rooster and wonder if he would be scaring the hens with his bells when he approached them in a "family way" Thanks

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've joined us Have you considered portable fencing to keep them in the basic area you want them in? It doesn't mean they won't go over it or through it as some of my brats do, but it does help.

 

[Ledgeroad Chickens]

Thank you! They have access to 3 acres around the house and barn and that much fencing for two hens and a rooster don't quite work for me. They have a small run about 20 by 30 that keeps them mostly safe but I like them to run further.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Train them to come when you call. If you make a certain call or whistle and offer them treats like scratch or mealworms they get trained pretty quickly to come running when you call. I had mine trained in a day to follow me when I call them. Now no matter how far away they are if they hear my call they come running like raptors after a rabbit.

 

[aart]

Train them to come when you call. If you make a certain call or whistle and offer them treats like scratch or mealworms they get trained pretty quickly to come running when you call. I had mine trained in a day to follow me when I call them. Now no matter how far away they are if they hear my call they come running like raptors after a rabbit.

This^^^

Not sure how you'd attach a bell to a chicken...interesting idea tho.
Might help you find them, but wouldn't help you catch them..haha!
Luring them to the coop/run by rattling the treat can and a voice call is a better bet.

 

[sourland]

I like the idea of a bell. Might sound romantic to the hen. "When the bells are ringing."