- Sep 14, 2007
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Recently I have had a few pm's on how I have trained my silky roos to crow indoors. I know nothing is going to be 100% but I have been able to keep my roos for many years while living in a culdesac with no complaints from my very near neighbors. So instead of answering each pm I decided to put the info here incase anyone is interested....
First : I only let the hens that are loving to me hatch chicks. This will ensure that all their chicks will be taught to be close to me by their mama= mama hen is trusting/lovey to me chicks will see this and recognize me as someone they can trust.
Second: I bring in my mama(s) who are sitting on eggs to hatch indoors in a pen. (this is not messy as some people think) ... this allows me to keep mama in a secluded calm enviroment where I can cull bad eggs and watch for any health problems. During this time I let mom know I am around and I actually visit her many times to talk and stroke her often. I use newspaper and waffel weave towels from the dollar store for chick rearing, prevents splayed leg syndrom. I have 2 cats and 2 dogs that the moms know wont hurt the chicks and they all get introduced early on. One cat * Spookey , a diluted tortie actually loves to watch the chicks. IN my years of raising chicks Spookey has beed there for all hatchings and has never hurt one chick!!!
Hatching starts... I am there to help if needed and talk to mom and so my voice is starting to imprint on babes. As they peek out of moms feathers--well dried-- I will bring them a few inches away from her to the water /food and gently introduce them. I talk to them, gently hold or stroke them with moms blessing. They are now starting to see me as a vital part of the family unit. I will continue this for the first week, longer if the weather is too hot or cold. During this week I am supplying mom and babes with the best of finely shredded carrot, diced cooked broccoli, diced strawberries , a wee bit of finely sdd cheese, sdd garden zucchini,and their basic chick start/ water/ and grit. If possible I will bring in small bugs and worms for mom to feed them. My mons that hatch know this routine well and teach their chicks that good eats come from big mama-(aka me).
After the week and good weather is about... they now go out to the rearing house/ pen. I continue to supply good eats and I am constantly in their presence, handeling and talking to all. --
I let them roam with the others at about 1 month. They will still use their own house but the wire mesh around their rearing area is gone.
Now at 2-3 months of age, you are seeing who is starting to become M&F. You start to handel all especially the boys ...start to love them up, find the 1 who loves you the most-- name him!!-- who is the most puddy in your hands will be the most trainable. If you have 2 males like this do both the same and pick later. Keep handeling, loving, give special treats while handeling. Use his name so he knows it. --Find homes for extra males!--.
At 4 months if you have 2 males pick the best one and re-home the other. Sooner or later your babe will try out his crow. Tell him what a good boy he is and handle him. The second time it happens ...do it again. When he starts to crow 2 days in a row let him know what a good boy he is and now set him up a crate or soft sided kennel indoors for him to roost at nite. Let him roam with his girls by day and nite he will roost indoors. To catch him wait till all roost for the nite and pick him up and bring him into his new roosting kennel indoors. You will have to repeat till he gets the idea he is to roost indoors with you.
--Each morning you will let him out of his pen to roam his indoor area and to crow to his delight! when he has stopped and is quiet, tell him he is a good boy, feed him a special treat and let him out with his girls. If he is lonely in his new digs get him a stuffed chicken, feather duster or a small cushy-towel cover doggy bed to sleep with at nite.. It works!
NOW...His special treat will be given only in the morning after he crows. Make sure it is a treat he really loves. If he crows outdoors, gently tell him not outdoors, lets go in, and if he again crows indoors, wait till finished, give him a good boy/little treat. If he doesnt crow after bringing him in just say," we crow indoors " and let roam inside for 5 minutes. Now let him out. ....If he crows while outdoors, again bring him in tell him we crow indoors and keep him till he is done. If he crows while indoors feed him a treat and a good boy!...wait 5 minutes more let him out. ....This part of his training is tedious, repetitive and can be frustrating. I have had Scooter who stuck to my rule 95% of the time, others 87%. I am currently working on Noah... he crowed twice last week...his first 2 times and hasn't crowed since.
***NOTE*** With Scooter he loved to- occasionally- give off one crow wait for me to come get him and take off running the yard to only end up at the back door looking at me like ...what took you soo long..I have to go indoors to crow!! If this happens just keep a couple of long small sized pvc poles close ( the will be extension of your arms) to guide him gently towards to door to go inside to crow. Do not get frustrated if this behavior continues. As long as you are getting him to go indoors to crow he is getting to have a little fun with you getting him there!
I have wood floors and tile....no rugs. I keep black office mats in front of each door to catch dirt. My past roos had & the future roo will continue to have an open door policy. They love to come in and see what I am doing....For example.....My 1st roo i trained named Scooter,...came in during one 100 degree day and decided to take a 1/2 hour nap on me...he left his girls to the heat and outdoor misters and shaded areas.....After his nap he woke up preened and went to the door to go out.
I hope this helps, for poop clean up I go to Target store and pick up unscented , no lotion baby wipes. These are great to clean EVERYTHING!!!
I have had the following roos* Scooter- died of old age, *Cotton- had to rehome was too small to service the girls and started trying to service my feet, *Bobby- died of unknown cause, * Jake- had surgury for broken toe and bumble foot and had to be put down to bumble foot infection in other foot. My new roo is * Noah, he crowed 2xs one day last week and has yet to crow again. I hope this helps!
First : I only let the hens that are loving to me hatch chicks. This will ensure that all their chicks will be taught to be close to me by their mama= mama hen is trusting/lovey to me chicks will see this and recognize me as someone they can trust.
Second: I bring in my mama(s) who are sitting on eggs to hatch indoors in a pen. (this is not messy as some people think) ... this allows me to keep mama in a secluded calm enviroment where I can cull bad eggs and watch for any health problems. During this time I let mom know I am around and I actually visit her many times to talk and stroke her often. I use newspaper and waffel weave towels from the dollar store for chick rearing, prevents splayed leg syndrom. I have 2 cats and 2 dogs that the moms know wont hurt the chicks and they all get introduced early on. One cat * Spookey , a diluted tortie actually loves to watch the chicks. IN my years of raising chicks Spookey has beed there for all hatchings and has never hurt one chick!!!
Hatching starts... I am there to help if needed and talk to mom and so my voice is starting to imprint on babes. As they peek out of moms feathers--well dried-- I will bring them a few inches away from her to the water /food and gently introduce them. I talk to them, gently hold or stroke them with moms blessing. They are now starting to see me as a vital part of the family unit. I will continue this for the first week, longer if the weather is too hot or cold. During this week I am supplying mom and babes with the best of finely shredded carrot, diced cooked broccoli, diced strawberries , a wee bit of finely sdd cheese, sdd garden zucchini,and their basic chick start/ water/ and grit. If possible I will bring in small bugs and worms for mom to feed them. My mons that hatch know this routine well and teach their chicks that good eats come from big mama-(aka me).
After the week and good weather is about... they now go out to the rearing house/ pen. I continue to supply good eats and I am constantly in their presence, handeling and talking to all. --
I let them roam with the others at about 1 month. They will still use their own house but the wire mesh around their rearing area is gone.
Now at 2-3 months of age, you are seeing who is starting to become M&F. You start to handel all especially the boys ...start to love them up, find the 1 who loves you the most-- name him!!-- who is the most puddy in your hands will be the most trainable. If you have 2 males like this do both the same and pick later. Keep handeling, loving, give special treats while handeling. Use his name so he knows it. --Find homes for extra males!--.
At 4 months if you have 2 males pick the best one and re-home the other. Sooner or later your babe will try out his crow. Tell him what a good boy he is and handle him. The second time it happens ...do it again. When he starts to crow 2 days in a row let him know what a good boy he is and now set him up a crate or soft sided kennel indoors for him to roost at nite. Let him roam with his girls by day and nite he will roost indoors. To catch him wait till all roost for the nite and pick him up and bring him into his new roosting kennel indoors. You will have to repeat till he gets the idea he is to roost indoors with you.
--Each morning you will let him out of his pen to roam his indoor area and to crow to his delight! when he has stopped and is quiet, tell him he is a good boy, feed him a special treat and let him out with his girls. If he is lonely in his new digs get him a stuffed chicken, feather duster or a small cushy-towel cover doggy bed to sleep with at nite.. It works!
NOW...His special treat will be given only in the morning after he crows. Make sure it is a treat he really loves. If he crows outdoors, gently tell him not outdoors, lets go in, and if he again crows indoors, wait till finished, give him a good boy/little treat. If he doesnt crow after bringing him in just say," we crow indoors " and let roam inside for 5 minutes. Now let him out. ....If he crows while outdoors, again bring him in tell him we crow indoors and keep him till he is done. If he crows while indoors feed him a treat and a good boy!...wait 5 minutes more let him out. ....This part of his training is tedious, repetitive and can be frustrating. I have had Scooter who stuck to my rule 95% of the time, others 87%. I am currently working on Noah... he crowed twice last week...his first 2 times and hasn't crowed since.
***NOTE*** With Scooter he loved to- occasionally- give off one crow wait for me to come get him and take off running the yard to only end up at the back door looking at me like ...what took you soo long..I have to go indoors to crow!! If this happens just keep a couple of long small sized pvc poles close ( the will be extension of your arms) to guide him gently towards to door to go inside to crow. Do not get frustrated if this behavior continues. As long as you are getting him to go indoors to crow he is getting to have a little fun with you getting him there!
I have wood floors and tile....no rugs. I keep black office mats in front of each door to catch dirt. My past roos had & the future roo will continue to have an open door policy. They love to come in and see what I am doing....For example.....My 1st roo i trained named Scooter,...came in during one 100 degree day and decided to take a 1/2 hour nap on me...he left his girls to the heat and outdoor misters and shaded areas.....After his nap he woke up preened and went to the door to go out.
I hope this helps, for poop clean up I go to Target store and pick up unscented , no lotion baby wipes. These are great to clean EVERYTHING!!!
I have had the following roos* Scooter- died of old age, *Cotton- had to rehome was too small to service the girls and started trying to service my feet, *Bobby- died of unknown cause, * Jake- had surgury for broken toe and bumble foot and had to be put down to bumble foot infection in other foot. My new roo is * Noah, he crowed 2xs one day last week and has yet to crow again. I hope this helps!
