Best way to keep chickens "tame"?

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Mine come running when they see the bucket and the milkcrate I use to sit on when I am out there they know it is treat time it is so funny to watch them fight to get up on my lap and follow me around when they see I got the bucket with me.

Enjoy them they are so cute and funny but like some others have said say it all the time when calling them and make sure it is something you won't get tired of saying or doing, (shaking a bucket with feed in it is the easiest because everyone can call them then.)

 

[elmo]

If you want to be able to pick your chickens up (useful when you need to do it), regular handling is the key. Chickens love a routine. Make it a habit to spend some time with them every day, give them treats, and pick each one up. Chickens are actually quite smart. You can clicker train them to do pretty much anything you want, including some rather amazing things, like discerning shapes and recognizing colors.

That sort of training is not particularly practical or useful to chicken keeping, but you get the idea. If you can train a chicken to peck at a triangle, you can certainly train it to go back to its run when you want it to go there.

About returning them to the pen, if you can keep a rooster where you live, I'd advise keeping one. We had a very sweet, Serama/OEGB rooster that we were forced to rehome (roosters are illegal where we live), but he made moving the flock extremely easy. I'd simply herd him, and he was smart and figured out where I wanted him to go, and he'd go. His hens would simply follow. We miss him.

 

[Laurajean]

Elmo, that video is amazing and so cool! I love it! I'm sending the link to all the people I know who say "Why would you want to keep chickens???" as if they're an inferior pet or something. I love it. Now I'm going back to YouTube to search for others.

 

[PhilErvin]

Mine come running when they hear the gate latch. Sometimes I don't want to deal with the roo so I quietly sneek through the gate.

 

[MalcolmR]

Thanks again so much for all the replies - and especially the youtube link, elmo. Sadly it made me spend to much time watching many related videos....

Malcolm

 

[jeremy]

Lots of treats and never introduce a rooster into your flock. Your hens will always be submissive towards him and will naturally shy away from you. They'll feel he's the top of the pecking order, not you anymore.

 

[BigSkyChickens]

gryeyes wrote:

I have the silliest thing I say, and it's directly related to my neophyte chicken keeping status: "Chickens! I have CHICKENS!"

Oh my! That is too funny. Last year, when we got our first chickens, we would randomly blurt out "We've got chickens!" just like the AOL voice, "you've got mail!"

Yes, handle them each day. Keep at it, even if they squawk in protest.

Last year, when I held chicks, I grabbed them from the top, and they always freaked out about the big predatory hand coming to get them.
This year I'm putting my hand under their bellies to pick them up, and they seem way calm about it.

Enjoy your chicks!

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:
Oh my! That is too funny. Last year, when we got our first chickens, we would randomly blurt out "We've got chickens!" just like the AOL voice, "you've got mail!"

Yes, handle them each day. Keep at it, even if they squawk in protest.

Last year, when I held chicks, I grabbed them from the top, and they always freaked out about the big predatory hand coming to get them.
This year I'm putting my hand under their bellies to pick them up, and they seem way calm about it.

Enjoy your chicks!

I found that my chicks (approx 9 weeks old) really like it when I bring my hand up from underneath their front and then scratch their chest area. They of course really like the treats. It took an entire 3x for the babies to figure out that when we come in and call chick-chick or pretty girls that we are bringing a treat. We have done spaghetti noodles (cooked), meal worms, and crickets. This morning when I went to turn off their night light and open the window they were all standing on my feet wanting to know what I had for them. I put my hand down and they come to it. They taste my hand occasionally - this is probably a bad habit isn't it to be teaching - but they are all coming up to us. Not sure what tonight's treat will be...gotta figure out something good.