Can I train my Rooster to crow on command??

[Lacy Duckwing]

My last rooster, Nightfall, and a bantam rooster who I was very close to, Chester, both would crow when I wanted them to. Chester I could get crowing in the middle of the night. What it is, I'd crow, and they'd crow back. On Nightfall, I crow once, and he'd crow back.

Both these roosters I raised around my crowing, and on Nightfall, I was chirping to when he was still in the egg. I don't know if my raising them around my crowing is what trained them, or if I'm just a really good crower and they like crowing back to me. (I also can get my neighbors roosters crowing too at times, so maybe it's just my own crowing.)

As suggested, a video might work, but an outside loud crow would work better. As far as the fair, other roosters there most likely will be already crowing. Just make your rooster feel as safe and comfortable as possible, and he'll crow too. If you're looking for practice to help him there, practice by having him in a cage like what he'd be in at the fair and practice a similar setup. That way, he's used to that setup, and will start crowing sooner and more.

 

[Polar]

My last rooster, Nightfall, and a bantam rooster who I was very close to, Chester, both would crow when I wanted them to. Chester I could get crowing in the middle of the night. What it is, I'd crow, and they'd crow back. On Nightfall, I crow once, and he'd crow back.

Both these roosters I raised around my crowing, and on Nightfall, I was chirping to when he was still in the egg. I don't know if my raising them around my crowing is what trained them, or if I'm just a really good crower and they like crowing back to me. (I also can get my neighbors roosters crowing too at times, so maybe it's just my own crowing.)

As suggested, a video might work, but an outside loud crow would work better. As far as the fair, other roosters there most likely will be already crowing. Just make your rooster feel as safe and comfortable as possible, and he'll crow too. If you're looking for practice to help him there, practice by having him in a cage like what he'd be in at the fair and practice a similar setup. That way, he's used to that setup, and will start crowing sooner and more.

That makes sense, I think that’s something we can probably try! Thanks for the suggestions!!

 

[Alicia Manolas]

Hello,

I believe I can help.

You can cue crowing, just like you can cue other behaviors in avians, chickens included.

The "gold standard" of cued behaviour training is 'poop on command' fairly easy with parrots, harder with chickens but eminantly doable. Time how often they do it, Wait till they are going to anyway, pick them up just before and cue them (I use saying 'Toilet Please' in a sing song voice they recognise the pitch of every time) - and reward massively when they do it, tell them they are wonderful and feed primo treats from the GOOD treat pot!

((to digress a moment the opposite is 'NO TOILET' and thus encourage them to cross their legs so to speak, and not poop for a moment while you move them or run them off, to a poop allowed zone. The more regularly you do it, the longer they can toilet control, just like children)).

Crow cueing is not wanted very often, but behavioral training will do it just the same.

Cue before it happens, then after, praise, and pay up immediately with a great treat! Small sliver of ham, tiny gob of all natural peanut butter, a few meal worms, whatever he likes most of high value items. (Test him on many to find out!)

If they don't crow regularly for you to use the timed method to signal BEFORE it happens, then start by signaling after, your signal might be snap your fingers twice and do gun finger in response to him crowing, then feed him a primo treat.

A week or so of that constantly, and then you can try switching, and try the signal, snap snap point, hold the treat in the other hand, and look expectant! If he doesn't immediately catch the drift, you do it to YOU, then.

Signal, mimic a rooster crow of his, feed yourself a treat! Tell your self well done!

Do it a couple times, with a pause between each for him to think. Remember, you just turned his world on its head! Blown his bird mind, fried his little brain! Processing time may be required!

Now try him again. Look at the treat, MMM, YUM! Get his attention miming YUM! Look expectant at him, signal snap-snap-point, look MORE expectant, encourage him! Depending on his breed will be how clever (or thick!) he is! So have patience.

Smartest poultry breed is Old English Game bantams, they are like working with mid level parrots, brain wise.

If he isn't a house chicken, during the few weeks full time training he will be in a folding dog crate pair facing each other, IN THE HOUSE WITH YOU WHEN YOU ARE THERE, or a bantam can use a big rabbit or Guineapig cage in the house, if you dont want to be bothered changing a Flocksuit or other chicken diaper panty liner inside, every 3 or so hours. Or do a combo of both.

And be prepared for early mornings, to work his biggest training sessions then. As soon as you see him spread his legs and get ready to squat to crow, signal fast! Then reward post crow!!!

I suggest putting a HEPA filter beside any indoor poultry (or parrots for that matter) for their health and yours, and for chicken smell! Hemp deals with smell the best, stops it, shavings and straw magnifys scent, and straw grows bacteria.

Or use dog blankets and switch them for the wash daily, but if you use blankets, give him toys, things to poke, budgie bell balls, bits of bark, a branch, small clear plastic bottles with spangles and sequins sealed inside, lids glued shut, to roll around - aka House Chicken Toys, because with blanket bedding you are taking away their ability to scratch and poke at stuff underfoot constantly, like hemp.

Puppy pens can be useful too, along with a close wing clipping if the chicken is not tame!! (Or pegging a sheet over the top).

Lastly remember to keep up his greens intake while he is in intense behavioural training, since he wont be outside to get his own.

Specialist Behavioural Training of chickens is eminently doable, just rare. Mostly only done on house hens, harness hens, Assistance Animals for Psycosocial Support for things like ADHD or Anxiety or Autism or Depression, ESA or, in rarer cases Performance animals, which I think is where your competition bird would fall under, category wise.

Anyway, good luck with him!

All the best,
Dr Alicia Manolas
Specialist Behavioral Trainer
Western Australia

 

[Polar]

Hello,

I believe I can help.

You can cue crowing, just like you can cue other behaviors in avians, chickens included.

The "gold standard" of cued behaviour training is 'poop on command' fairly easy with parrots, harder with chickens but eminantly doable. Time how often they do it, Wait till they are going to anyway, pick them up just before and cue them (I use saying 'Toilet Please' in a sing song voice they recognise the pitch of every time) - and reward massively when they do it, tell them they are wonderful and feed primo treats from the GOOD treat pot!

((to digress a moment the opposite is 'NO TOILET' and thus encourage them to cross their legs so to speak, and not poop for a moment while you move them or run them off, to a poop allowed zone. The more regularly you do it, the longer they can toilet control, just like children)).

Crow cueing is not wanted very often, but behavioral training will do it just the same.

Cue before it happens, then after, praise, and pay up immediately with a great treat! Small sliver of ham, tiny gob of all natural peanut butter, a few meal worms, whatever he likes most of high value items. (Test him on many to find out!)

If they don't crow regularly for you to use the timed method to signal BEFORE it happens, then start by signaling after, your signal might be snap your fingers twice and do gun finger in response to him crowing, then feed him a primo treat.

A week or so of that constantly, and then you can try switching, and try the signal, snap snap point, hold the treat in the other hand, and look expectant! If he doesn't immediately catch the drift, you do it to YOU, then.

Signal, mimic a rooster crow of his, feed yourself a treat! Tell your self well done!

Do it a couple times, with a pause between each for him to think. Remember, you just turned his world on its head! Blown his bird mind, fried his little brain! Processing time may be required!

Now try him again. Look at the treat, MMM, YUM! Get his attention miming YUM! Look expectant at him, signal snap-snap-point, look MORE expectant, encourage him! Depending on his breed will be how clever (or thick!) he is! So have patience.

Smartest poultry breed is Old English Game bantams, they are like working with mid level parrots, brain wise.

If he isn't a house chicken, during the few weeks full time training he will be in a folding dog crate pair facing each other, IN THE HOUSE WITH YOU WHEN YOU ARE THERE, or a bantam can use a big rabbit or Guineapig cage in the house, if you dont want to be bothered changing a Flocksuit or other chicken diaper panty liner inside, every 3 or so hours. Or do a combo of both.

And be prepared for early mornings, to work his biggest training sessions then. As soon as you see him spread his legs and get ready to squat to crow, signal fast! Then reward post crow!!!

I suggest putting a HEPA filter beside any indoor poultry (or parrots for that matter) for their health and yours, and for chicken smell! Hemp deals with smell the best, stops it, shavings and straw magnifys scent, and straw grows bacteria.

Or use dog blankets and switch them for the wash daily, but if you use blankets, give him toys, things to poke, budgie bell balls, bits of bark, a branch, small clear plastic bottles with spangles and sequins sealed inside, lids glued shut, to roll around - aka House Chicken Toys, because with blanket bedding you are taking away their ability to scratch and poke at stuff underfoot constantly, like hemp.

Puppy pens can be useful too, along with a close wing clipping if the chicken is not tame!! (Or pegging a sheet over the top).

Lastly remember to keep up his greens intake while he is in intense behavioural training, since he wont be outside to get his own.

Specialist Behavioural Training of chickens is eminently doable, just rare. Mostly only done on house hens, harness hens, Assistance Animals for Psycosocial Support for things like ADHD or Anxiety or Autism or Depression, ESA or, in rarer cases Performance animals, which I think is where your competition bird would fall under, category wise.

Anyway, good luck with him!

All the best,
Dr Alicia Manolas
Specialist Behavioral Trainer
Western Australia

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

I’ve gotta try some of this out!!

 

[Alicia Manolas]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

I’ve gotta try some of this out!!

You are welcome, remember PERSISTENCE and PATIENCE.

Without a senior trainer or mentor there to judge a working or performance animals IQ (and EQ) before you start and know you have a good training prospect, it can feel a bit hit or miss at first, but it feels better than a million dollars when you make that first big breakthrough after so much patient work, and establish communication!!!

Best of luck!