Chicken Training Tips anyone?

[chickyboomboom]

So, I've been trying to get my girls to go to their run on command by saying to them "Go home girls", everytime I round them up. I have a dashchund so the animals have to share free ranging backyard in "shifts". Yesterday I told my 6 week old girls "go home girls" and every single one of them went straight into their run! It could have totally been a coincidence but it was cool! I am hoping that they will learn to do this on command.

Has anyone ever taught their chickens to do anything? Does anyone have any cool chicken tricks or commands? They have small brains so I don't expect too much, but I would love for them to learn a few things!

I've also started clicking (tongue clickiing) when I have treats to hand feed them so they know to come to me when I do that. They for sure are "trained" in coming for treats!

 

[centrarchid]

I have trained chickens to come to me on voice command and they will even cut through a small crowd to do it. Adults and chicks will fly up into my hand. Chicks will fly horizontaly a good 20 feet to my hand. A few of my display birds will go into an animal carrier for transport.

As for smarts a great deal of variation exists. Most production breeds are not so sharp but games and especially red jungle fowl need to be revisited by folks that measure animal intelligence. I now have experience with American crows and red jungle fowl and latter may give crow a run for its money. Domestication has really dumbed the chicken down.

 

[chickyboomboom]

Quote:
How have you trained them? Do you use a catch phrase?

 

[centrarchid]

Each bird given specific and realtively short name.

Eduardo
Sallie
Spud
Speech
Una
Elmo

When a bird is to go something its name is stated clearly and repeatedly. Offer a reward (I use meal worms) for bird coming. To get something more like have bird enter a pet carrier, a meal worm is tossed while bird observes into pet carrier. Say birds name and "box" repeatedly each time a meal worm is placed in box. Eventually bird will run inside box and waite for meal worm. Other activities promoted in similarr fashion. Whole thing must be repeated periodically. My birds are free range but I do not know how that effects trainability.

 

[chickyboomboom]

WOW! To come by name! That's impressive! I am sure lots of repetition and consistency is the key.

 

[centrarchid]

Lots of repitition. Their ability to discern human speech is impressive.

 

[chickyboomboom]

wondering if anyone has success using a bell, or some kind of whistle for anything??

 

[itsy]

A three year old hen that I've had for about a month learned to come for her name because I always give her a strawberry when I call her. She's a barred rock. I feel like they're a little smarter than my other birds....

 

[yinepu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJtf9YxZkNI&feature=related

there's a bunch more on youtube as well..

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Very interesting video. They use clicker where I use voice. Rewards they use much smaller than my mealworms. I think they could be directed to peck a particular shape or color based on signal given. Breed choice (leghorn) does not seem to be one that can demonstrate smarts for a chicken. My game hen Sallie even goes as far as to manipulate environment to get food for her nearly flightless chicks. She will fly up to a cabinet top and, by pecking, carrying and scatching can knock down the can to ground with chicks. She sometimes also takes worms one at a tiime from can and drops them to ground for chicks. I will attempt to video and post.

Something I have noticed is that learning curve for Sallie is steeper when she has chicks, just like with some mammals.