Chicken Herding Sticks :D

[3KillerBs]

After seeing so much good advice about herding my chicks back into the coop at night I made a pair of chicken herding sticks to extend my reach so that they don't just dash back around me. Two scraps of pvc pipe with a little flagging tape tied to the ends.

I tried them out tonight and it worked very well. I just walked around the chickens, held out my sticks, and slowly walked toward the pop door as I called "Bedtime for birdies," and held the sticks so that the flags just brushed the ground. No end runs back around me into the pen tonight. All chicks ended up at the ramp.

At which point I leaned them up against the wall and used my hands to scoot the feathery tails inside (last stubborn chicken on the ramp not moving gets picked up, petted, and put in).

 

[rosemarythyme]

Here's my herding "sticks" - serves double duty since we need to clean up poops as we go, before the dogs come out and snack on 'em:

https://www.petsmart.com/dog/cleani...-spade-pet-poop-scoop-color-varies-13633.html

 

[aart]

"Bedtime for birdies,"

This cracked me up!!
Wish you had gotten video.

I don't 'herd' chickens, but I did 'fool' and 'shoo' them into separate runs yesterday so the juniors could partake of an ice pan.

 

[3KillerBs]

This cracked me up!!
Wish you had gotten video.

I don't 'herd' chickens, but I did 'fool' and 'shoo' them into separate runs yesterday so the juniors could partake of an ice pan.

They won't come for any treat I've discovered yet, so herding it is until I discover something they like enough to come to me for.

 

[Pghelp]

I started "herding" by grabbing a kale plant I had pulled up. They had nibbled all the leaves off. They know when I pick up the kale switch it's time to head into the coop. Kale is looking rather tired these days but still works! Just planted new kale too!

 

[3KillerBs]

After a couple weeks of use I can say that, as absurd as they look, my herding sticks work beautifully.

They're just extensions of my arms to expand my "wingspan" as I bring them toward their pop door walking slowly and blocking them but not making any aggressive moves with the sticks. Once close enough I lean the sticks against the wall and use my hands to push stragglers through the door.

 

[aart]

as absurd as they look,

Function over Form!!
Actually the bright white pipe with hot pink flags are highly visible, and thus efficient!

 

[Tre3hugger]

After a couple weeks of use I can say that, as absurd as they look, my herding sticks work beautifully.

They're just extensions of my arms to expand my "wingspan" as I bring them toward their pop door walking slowly and blocking them but not making any aggressive moves with the sticks. Once close enough I lean the sticks against the wall and use my hands to push stragglers through the door.

I herd my guineas all the time, it has been a life saver! Your sticks must be so light weight. I may need to trade in my 2x2x8s for some of those. Glad they're workin out for ya.

 

[3KillerBs]

I herd my guineas all the time, it has been a life saver! Your sticks must be so light weight. I may need to trade in my 2x2x8s for some of those. Glad they're workin out for ya.

Yes, I asked DH if he had any scrap PVC pipe from the myriad of plumbing projects he'd done and he came up with those. If I were cutting them on purpose instead of just choosing scrap I'd have gone for about 3 feet long.

Bamboo/cane would probably be nice and light too.

I figured that the white pipe would be visible in dim light and added the flagging tape in case I needed to herd them in bright sunshine. It turned out to be useful to dangle in front of a bird's face when she's considering turning around and ducking under the stick.

 

[Pghelp]

It works! And they don't seem to mind or get agitated at all.