need advice- banty doesn't like her chicken diaper

[urbanfred]

My friendly white bantam cochin (Marilyn) loves being indoors with us, but is not happy when she gets fitted with her chicken diaper. She picks at the straps and pulls out feathers while trying. She just won't leave it alone. Any suggestions about helping her adjust?

 

[swtangel321]

I cant imagine any chicken liking a diaper on them !! I have no idea what to tell you !! Is there a different style you can get that she might like better ??

 

[WoodlandWoman]

How many times has she had it on? Chickens and parrots have varying degrees of tolerance for them, depending on the individual. Usually they adapt by the time they've been wearing it for a couple of weeks, often much sooner.

Like any animal wearing a collar or harness for the first time, any diversion can be helpful. With chickens, a diversion usually means food! Something especially good and/or something she has to work to get, would focus her attention the most.

Some kind of ball or tube with holes, that contains a special food, would be good. They have little plastic treat balls for cats, with holes in them. You could also take anything you think would work and just make holes in it.

She'd have to roll it around, to get the food to come out. Something like sunflower hearts would work for my chickens. If I was really desperate, I'd use a clear container, so she could see what was inside and get some meal worms! Dried or live would work. You might have to teach her to use it, by rolling it around for her. Chickens can learn a lot of things, if you show them and teach them.

 

[urbanfred]

Excellent suggestion, Woodland Woman. Using a diversion while acclimating the chicken to the diaper is clever, and the little rolling food ball is just a great idea. Seems as though you have some experience in training. Have you done clicker training?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've done some training of one sort or another with dogs, cats, parrots, chickens, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish. I did more trick training and traditional obedience work when I was younger. As I've gotten older, I've moved to training a lot of additional behaviors that just make life easier or nicer. And training to discourage problem behaviors.

I usually just use my voice, rather than a clicker, for my own animals and birds. Clickers are especially good for an animal or bird that's being handled by different people, though. It makes it easier to hand off an animal to another person that the animal hasn't worked with or doesn't have a relationship with.

For my own animals, my voice is the reward, as well as identifying the wanted behavior. It's just personal preference. Plus, I reinforce behaviors all day long, as they happen. I also use a lot of hand signals, along with verbal commands.

I do use food as a reward when calling the pond fish. I should clicker train them. It annoys my husband when they come for me and not for him. I told him he just has to imitate my voice and call, "Come here my lovelies! How are you today?"

I never underestimate a good diversion and a regular routine, though!

 

[JBraz21]

So I have 2 silkies as my house pets and I have had diapers made for each of them... we tried them on and wasnt pretty. They both started freaking out and bucking like a bull. Any suggestions on how to acclimate them to the diapers? They are about 4 months old.