Chicken Story Ideas -- share your thoughts!

[kcan2]

I vote for a BYC chicken writer's club!

 

[orloffer]

I wrote an article sometime back suitable for younger readers, but not quite understandable for really small kids, about clicker training. I think talking about having fun teaching chickens would be awesome. My cousin and I used to think we were weirdo kids and odd ones out for teaching our chickens to do tricks - but I think affirming that it's okay to bond with your flock like that would make it a special book.

Talking about teaching chickens is a great idea! Apparently some professional dog trainers start out by training chickens. Do you have any ideas for specific tricks?

 

[orloffer]

I vote for a BYC chicken writer's club!

Yes!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@orloffer - Our ladies do a few different "tricks" but their best one remains ringing a bell. My bantam girl does alot, and even without practice if she sees me extend my arm with only two fingers out, she'll run around and find the right placing then fly up to my arm.

Dr. Sophia Yin (former animal behaviorist promoting positive reinforcement training, rest in peace) has a website has some chicken training info

 

[orloffer]

@orloffer - Our ladies do a few different "tricks" but their best one remains ringing a bell. My bantam girl does alot, and even without practice if she sees me extend my arm with only two fingers out, she'll run around and find the right placing then fly up to my arm.

Dr. Sophia Yin (former animal behaviorist promoting positive reinforcement training, rest in peace) has a website has some chicken training info

Ringing a bell sounds like a fun trick idea! Are they rewarded when they ring it?
Thank you for the link--I will check it out.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Yes, they get a small reward when they correctly ring it!

So we clicker trained them -> clicker = treat. They associated the clicker with the treat. The sound serves as a reminder (marker) of the moment. We transitioned into behavioral cues. First it was - hey there's a bell here, what do I do? Anytime they pecked the bell anywhere on it's surface, I immediately click-treated. Then we stepped up from there to - okay, now you have to peck the little button on top that makes the sound. They had to make it audibly ring to get a click-treat. Surprisingly they were really fast learners about it.

 

[orloffer]

Yes, they get a small reward when they correctly ring it!

So we clicker trained them -> clicker = treat. They associated the clicker with the treat. The sound serves as a reminder (marker) of the moment. We transitioned into behavioral cues. First it was - hey there's a bell here, what do I do? Anytime they pecked the bell anywhere on it's surface, I immediately click-treated. Then we stepped up from there to - okay, now you have to peck the little button on top that makes the sound. They had to make it audibly ring to get a click-treat. Surprisingly they were really fast learners about it.

Thank you for the explanation! I should try teaching my chickens a trick like that some time. I have a giant container of freeze-dried soldier fly larvae...

 

[HomesteaderWife]

It's crazy to see the obstacle courses people design for chickens, or to see how creative people are with them. Though when you accomplish it, sometimes videos of these tricks go viral because people don't believe they can learn like that

 

[orloffer]

It's crazy to see the obstacle courses people design for chickens, or to see how creative people are with them. Though when you accomplish it, sometimes videos of these tricks go viral because people don't believe they can learn like that

I have watched a few of those obstacle course videos myself. It is definitely quite creative, and impressive, too.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I need to teach my little bantam something new come to think of it - any ideas? Thinking of some little jumps