Does anyone else herd their chickens?

[ILoveDaffy]

Sometimes, but generally they just came on their own. I have also broken up two roosters and a turkey fighting with a shovel. All parties ran into it and kept going! Clang, "Roo, NO!",CLANG, "Turkey, leave him be!" GET OFF! Generic names, I know. They were not my birds.

 

[KathiQuacks]

Took me 1 week to teach my ducks that coop = food and shelter. Now they come up all on their own! Makes my job a whole lot easier

 

[saysfaa]

"Herding" is not necessary. ...

I agree about the atv herding. More generally, I would probably also agree if the only movement I wanted was for them to come. Or to either "come" or "go home."

But: small lot, close neighbors, close road, dh doesn't like them on the good part of the lawn, I don't like them inside the garage, neither of us like them at the door. Some of the vegetables are outside the garden fence.

I can call them away from such things. Then I have trouble getting them to not follow me once they are away from the whatever-it-is.

Some days, they spend all day on the compost pile and/or in the woods. Some days, they need many redirections. The days I clean the garage are often difficult.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I've run outside in all kinds of disarray to scare of hawks....but never in a towel.

I don't recommend it & I will never do it again lol

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I've run outside in all kinds of disarray to scare of hawks....but never in a towel.

I'm pretty sure my hubby thinks I'm an Olympian with my crazed attempts to scare the monsters away. I saved my new little pullet Golden chicken from a fox (fox dropped her when i chased), and when I looked out the window and seen a hawk attacking same golden chicken, i pounced on that hawk so fast, its all a blur. Golden chicken is still with me and boy do I love her! And,.... I need a Rooster.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

My senior German Shepherd has been herding my flock for a couple months now. He used to be scared of poultry (got chased by a turkey once) but he's loving his new job!

Awww, such a good boy helpin' out with the hens! Come have a treat

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I don't recommend it & I will never do it again lol

I woulda used that towel as a weapon! My naked body or the whipping of the towel is bound to scare all around!

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Mine put themselves up at dusk, Penny decides its time to go in and goes to lay claim to her favorite perch, then the others follow. I've never herded them but they will come when I call (they know I come bearing treats) But we've recently lost one of our younger girls to a predator. So they haven't been out in over a week. The girls are getting antsy and try to escape when I come to feed them. I'm going to have to try to give them supervised yard time soon.

 

[DLA]

I can't really leave mine out unsupervised because of a multitude of ground and air predators (plus I don't want them on the road or in my neighbors yards digging up flower beds) so I walk them thru my yard most days weather permitting. It's around 2 1/2 acres and the exercise is good for me too. I have a thin walking stick that I will sometimes tap one with lightly but most of the time when I take them out for a walk they either follow me or I follow them. They've learned that go-go-go means a threat and they run for the coop, come on chickies means to follow me. Sometimes I don't even have to say anything, I just wave the stick in the direction I want them to head and they usually go that way. It took a few walks for them to catch on when they were young but they learned pretty quickly. I tried treats at first but they would just cluster around and not go looking for bugs and such so I gave up on the treats and just kept after them till they learned. Once in a while one decides to go her own way and I have to chase her down and put her back with the flock but mostly they behave. I think my neighbors get a kick out of seeing me take my 9 chickens for walks too. I'm sure sometimes I look pretty silly.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I agree about the atv herding. More generally, I would probably also agree if the only movement I wanted was for them to come. Or to either "come" or "go home."

But: small lot, close neighbors, close road, dh doesn't like them on the good part of the lawn, I don't like them inside the garage, neither of us like them at the door. Some of the vegetables are outside the garden fence.

I can call them away from such things. Then I have trouble getting them to not follow me once they are away from the whatever-it-is.

Some days, they spend all day on the compost pile and/or in the woods. Some days, they need many redirections. The days I clean the garage are often difficult.

I can't really leave mine out unsupervised because of a multitude of ground and air predators (plus I don't want them on the road or in my neighbors yards digging up flower beds) so I walk them thru my yard most days weather permitting. It's around 2 1/2 acres and the exercise is good for me too. I have a thin walking stick that I will sometimes tap one with lightly but most of the time when I take them out for a walk they either follow me or I follow them. They've learned that go-go-go means a threat and they run for the coop, come on chickies means to follow me. Sometimes I don't even have to say anything, I just wave the stick in the direction I want them to head and they usually go that way. It took a few walks for them to catch on when they were young but they learned pretty quickly. I tried treats at first but they would just cluster around and not go looking for bugs and such so I gave up on the treats and just kept after them till they learned. Once in a while one decides to go her own way and I have to chase her down and put her back with the flock but mostly they behave. I think my neighbors get a kick out of seeing me take my 9 chickens for walks too. I'm sure sometimes I look pretty silly.

Thats not silly looking! Silly looking is me raking my neighbors already raked pile of leaves into my yard for no reason then to give the hens some fun, lol