Chickenmom283
Chirping
- Mar 9, 2021
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How to keep your flock in line and show those chickens who's the boss!
Having trouble getting your flock to listen to you? Need help getting them all in the coop every night? They won't come when you want them to? Well then, you're at the right place!
Tip one:
Your chicks won't listen to you. They think they're the boss, and you're just a mindless mammal feeding them. Time to prove them wrong.
First, pick up the ones that are reluctant to accept you, poke them in the chest, and say firmly: "I'm boss." The chickens will usually cower and accept you. If they don't, there is a second way: Stomp around near your chickens and make yourself look intimidating. Move around your chicks out of your way to impress upon them the importance of listening to you.
Tip two:
Your chicks too busy free ranging and don't want to come for food? That's on them.
Show your chicks some food and use a simple word to show them what it is. I say to my girlies "FOOD! COME!" and they come trotting over to be fed. Teaching them this word is easy, and showing them what it is multiple times will help. Shaking the bag or bucket or bin or whatever you have to show that you have food will help. Now you can use this method to have your girls come over when you don't have food, but hens and roosters will get suspicious if you overuse it and most likely not come to you anymore.
Tip 3:
Getting them in the coop every night can be difficult with stubborn chickens. I try to herd them in with some difficulty sometimes, but what I mainly do is what I do in the first thing- Show the chickens who's boss. Don't hurt them, they will be less likely to trust you (Fry took a long time to trust me again after I accidentally sat on her when she was able to slip through the chicken wire) but stomp around and look intimidating. You may feel bad for scaring those poor chicks, but they will learn to love you and trust you to protect and provide for them once they know your at the top of the Pecking Order. Maybe train your chicks to get in the coop with one simple word- "In" "Inside" "Bed" - and put them in the coop each time you say that until they get it.
I hope this was informative and helpful,
Chickenmom. (Call me Cat)
Having trouble getting your flock to listen to you? Need help getting them all in the coop every night? They won't come when you want them to? Well then, you're at the right place!
Tip one:
Your chicks won't listen to you. They think they're the boss, and you're just a mindless mammal feeding them. Time to prove them wrong.
First, pick up the ones that are reluctant to accept you, poke them in the chest, and say firmly: "I'm boss." The chickens will usually cower and accept you. If they don't, there is a second way: Stomp around near your chickens and make yourself look intimidating. Move around your chicks out of your way to impress upon them the importance of listening to you.
Tip two:
Your chicks too busy free ranging and don't want to come for food? That's on them.
Show your chicks some food and use a simple word to show them what it is. I say to my girlies "FOOD! COME!" and they come trotting over to be fed. Teaching them this word is easy, and showing them what it is multiple times will help. Shaking the bag or bucket or bin or whatever you have to show that you have food will help. Now you can use this method to have your girls come over when you don't have food, but hens and roosters will get suspicious if you overuse it and most likely not come to you anymore.
Tip 3:
Getting them in the coop every night can be difficult with stubborn chickens. I try to herd them in with some difficulty sometimes, but what I mainly do is what I do in the first thing- Show the chickens who's boss. Don't hurt them, they will be less likely to trust you (Fry took a long time to trust me again after I accidentally sat on her when she was able to slip through the chicken wire) but stomp around and look intimidating. You may feel bad for scaring those poor chicks, but they will learn to love you and trust you to protect and provide for them once they know your at the top of the Pecking Order. Maybe train your chicks to get in the coop with one simple word- "In" "Inside" "Bed" - and put them in the coop each time you say that until they get it.
I hope this was informative and helpful,
Chickenmom. (Call me Cat)
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