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

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

If two hens are having a major fight, I will take them both, have them face each other, and gently push them into the submission pose. Then I check for any wounds and wash the chicken if there is blood on her.

 

[Acre4Me]

“pecking” them does work -takes a few times, but it’s their language.

As far as a wanderer, and stubborn chicken such as yours, could be personality or age. Maybe they all get to free range, but for a shorter time, with you present so you can redirect away from the areas you don’t want them to go. I have a few chickens that will not easily go back into the run, but I’m not dealing with woods. I can usually direct them better with a long garden post as an extension of my arm…I can herd them better this way. They see this “arm” and will move to avoid it, so I’ll slowly walk around them, using the garden post to prevent them from going the direction I don’t want them to go. As default, they go where they are most familiar and “safe”, which is their run.

 

[bobbi-j]

I really never had any of my chickens Peck me I never got that personal with them that they would gather around me or eat out of my hand in the 25+ years I’ve raised chickens I just didn’t want the aggravation of them around me if I was working in there side of the Little Barn most of the time when I open the door they go out side in the pen unless it’s cold then they will move away from me I like it that way. Although last year I’ve had one of my Sapphire Gems she’s 3 years old now come up to me and just started staring at me so I got some hen scratch with my hand and offered it to her she started eating out of my hand. I nicknamed her “Sweety” because of her demeanor now every day I have to give her a treat I don’t mind guess I’m getting softer in my old age.

This is actually how I raise my chickens as well. The only time they come running to me is when they see me carrying the “treat” (kitchen scrap) bucket. I prefer it when they move away and give me my space.;

 

[Dough Hill]

This is actually how I raise my chickens as well. The only time they come running to me is when they see me carrying the “treat” (kitchen scrap) bucket. I prefer it when they move away and give me my space.;

Yes mine are the same they seem to here my Dump Truck or car pull in the driveway and the first thing I do is go there and there lined up waiting for some of my homemade chicken scratch.

 

[Red Mangrove]

On the rare occasions where a chicken pecks me I merely ignore it

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I used punish for lack of a better word, but I could also argue why would you punish a kid for being a kid? I understand that chickens don’t have the same mental acuity as children, but I’m trying to figure out how to prevent her from running into the woods and putting herself in danger.

Could she have a nest out there? She doesn't know she's putting herself in danger. And she's not going out there to make you mad. So ask yourself, what is her motive for going out there? YOU know the dangers, that's why you worry, but she doesn't. Think like a chicken. What's the attraction for HER? If she has a nest out there, you probably won't be able to keep her from going out there unless you keep her locked up. Many a chicken tender can tell tales of a hen who disappeared and was declared legally "dead," only to show up weeks later with a dozen chicks in tow!

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello!

I wouldn’t call it “punishing”, just “teaching” or “training”. When my rooster that I used to have started to attack me, I would push or kick him back with my foot, or sometimes chase him with my arms out like I was going to catch him. He did not like that, and he would always run away .
I agree with some of the other posters, and I do not think that chickens have brains that are capable of comprehending “punishment”. In fact, I’ve found that it takes much repetition of cause and effect to teach them anything at all. For example, one of my hens always roosted (and still does sometimes) on the top of the coop rather than inside, so every night I would go up and get her down and put her in the coop. She does NOT like being handled, but it took several weeks before she finally figured out that I wouldn’t have to move her if she would just go into the coop at night. There are many other examples I could give, but my point is this: Chickens will not understand why they are getting consequences for simply doing things that they think are fine. They won’t learn from it, and you won’t get a positive result, so “punishing” them will only make them more afraid of you. If you want to break a habit, you need to take steps to do so that will teach your birds what they’re not supposed to do, rather than creating fear and distress.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You have to "speak" the animal's language in order to communicate with it. Example, dogs don't hit each other, so nothing is gained by hitting it except that they learn to fear you. You can communicate something to a horse, however, by thumping it in the ribs with your fist, because horses do kick each other. You can also communicate to a horse by stomping and shaking your head, but that means nothing to, say, a cat. So you can communicate to a chicken with a well-timed finger-tap to the top of the head or to the chest, but timing is critical. I had a three-day old cockerel that started to charge my hand when I put fresh food and water in the brooder, and crash his chest against my hand. So I tapped him in the chest when he did it. We played that little game every day for about three days until he finally realized that every time he thumped me, I would thump back, just a little harder. He grew up to be a gentle, well mannered cockerel and roo.

 

[dekel18042]

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.

Definitely. When I go out with treats for my chickens, I whistle. if I want them to come in, all I have to do is whistle. And I make sure there are treats for when they come.
The only "punishment" and I use the term loosely as nothing happens is if they are in the flower bed scratching mulch onto the sidewalk I let the dog out and she knows to get them out of the flower bed. They aren't injured and the minute they leave, she stops.
If I don't catch them in the act, I sweep the sidewalk.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

YES, I STEAL THEIR EGGS!