Do you “punish” (not abuse) your chickens?

[ladyhand]

does anyone here “punish” their chickens (I’m not talking about physical abuse)? I have “pecked” back when they were younger and pecked me, but I have a hen that ran off into the woods earlier this week during supervised free range times and I couldn’t get her in for two hours. I told her I hoped she enjoyed herself because her roaming privileges were suspended (yes I know they can’t understand me). Now the other three are out roaming and she’s in the run squawking her head off like they do when someone is in the nesting box they want.

 

[bobbi-j]

No, because I don’t believe a chicken has the capacity to understand that the reason she is being locked up is because she was being a chicken. It’s like smacking a puppy with a newspaper three hours after it peed on the floor. It has no idea why you’re mad at it. All you’re doing is causing her unnecessary stress.

 

[Predoggg]

We don't punish our chickens.

 

[aart]

No, because I don’t believe a chicken has the capacity to understand that the reason she is being locked up is because she was being a chicken. It’s like smacking a puppy with a newspaper three hours after it peed on the floor. It has no idea why you’re mad at it. All you’re doing is causing her unnecessary stress.

This^^^!!!

 

[nuthatched]

I 'peck' back if they bite me and most have learned, chickens are smart enough to understand the pecking order. Most animals practice some sort of correction for their young.

 

[fluffycrow]

No, because I don’t believe a chicken has the capacity to understand that the reason she is being locked up is because she was being a chicken. It’s like smacking a puppy with a newspaper three hours after it peed on the floor. It has no idea why you’re mad at it. All you’re doing is causing her unnecessary stress.

Nope. Never have. Love this

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you tried training the wayward bird to come to you at a signal? Verbal cue, rattling of a treat or food canister, etc. I have a couple birds that are flightier than the rest but they'll still come running at the prospect of a treat.

 

[ladyhand]

Have you tried training the wayward bird to come to you at a signal? Verbal cue, rattling of a treat or food canister, etc. I have a couple birds that are flightier than the rest but they'll still come running at the prospect of a treat.

They typically always respond to the mealworm bag shaking, but lately this hen has been like FU I do what I want.

I don’t want anyone to think I’m unnecessarily awful to my chickens. I love them dearly and spoil them as much as I can, but it’s my first time with chickens and I’m trying to figure things out as I go.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't see the point. They won't know why they're the only one not being allowed out to run and eat and scratch.

The most I do is tap chicks on their beak lightly if they go after my fingers, and firmly and gently push males away if they dance at me or accidentally grab me instead if their feed while I'm at their level.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They typically always respond to the mealworm bag shaking, but lately this hen has been like FU I do what I want.

I don’t want anyone to think I’m unnecessarily awful to my chickens. I love them dearly and spoil them as much as I can, but it’s my first time with chickens and I’m trying to figure things out as I go.

How old are they? If this is a teenager, that could be part of the reason why she's being more difficult than usual.

That said, I do occasionally have a bird that doesn't want to come out or stay out for some reason (they need to lay, semi-broody, just being weirdos, etc.), so in those cases I leave them in the run or follow them back to the run and shut them in. Last 2 days one of my hens ran back to the enclosure early so yes, she got to spend some of her free ranging time in the run while the others were out. I don't expect her to learn anything from it, I just need to know she's somewhere safe during that time.