Rooster coming when called?

[a.felix]

My roo, Bullwinkle, responds to his name, and the whole flock run over if I click my tongue at them to call them, even the younguns I've only had for a week. I love it.

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

Don't you just LOVE a good roo?? I have 4 now (2 OEGB, 1 Serama, 1 Phoenix), maybe 5(Cochin), but I sure hope its a hen

(5 might be too many!) They range from 2-6 months old. I love the way they take care of the hens first, and let them snuggle under their wings, I give the boys treats, and they drop it and call their hen to come get it.... They are so chivalrous!! What good boys!!

I actually like hearing them crow in the morning. Since they are little guys, they aren't TOO loud, but I know all their voices. I lay in bed, and make sure I hear each and every one, then I know all is okay...and it will be a great day!

 

[Desert Rooster]

WOW, i wish my roo did that, instead he just floggs me whenever he gets a chance

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Quote:
It's "conditioning".

My birds come when called. I can't holler loud at all -- they wander about 5 acres -- so I "shrill" for them. It's kind-of an obnoxious whistling-type sound. We've always made a point to have some funny/obnoxious call for the birds after laughing hysterically at the way one woman called her birds -- we love to laugh and joke. It used to be "Here goosey goose goose goose" with the most obnoxious voice we could make. You'd have to imagine the Beverly Hill Billies calling the birds. In this case, we sort-of made fun of the woman we got our first Sebastopol flock from (the woman who inspired the obnoxious bird calls). 'Cept, she weren't tryin' to be funny -- which made her really funny. My voice is weak, so we changed our call to a "shrill" a few years ago.

We roll our tongue on the roof of our mouth and then add an "aye yi yi yi" -- pretty obnoxious, but the birds can hear it at quite a distance and they come running.

The "conditioning" comes by feeding them simultaneously.

This becomes convenient for lots of reasons: to count the birds, grab one and sell it, get a bird or two as they begin to stray off the property, etc.

Now, the birds know the sound of my car . . .

 

[CariLynn]

What a pretty pretty roo Mixiechick! Do you have a full body shot of him? We have a large stately Buff Orpington roo, Chief and he is the peacekeeper, food finder, protector of our flock. I love to go sit out with mine and read for a while, he will stay nearby giving me a glance now and then and if I praise him, it's as if he knows as he will fluff up his neck feathers, shake himself, stretch his wings out and strut his stuff.

 

[mandelyn]

The last rooster I had, and OE Bantam, would come to "Rooster" and he'd talk to me in rooster speak. He'd fly into my lap to be held, which was strange, because he came out of a large flock and I didn't raise him from a chick. His little hen was just as sweet too.

The funniest thing was when the neighbors rooster flew over our fence and started advancing, and my rooster took off for his house talking about it, and I chased the other rooster off and back over the fence. Mine came out and crowed his head off like he had handled it. LOL I was like "Rooster, you little chicken, making me fight your battles for you" and he came over and wing danced me. I booted him away, like "Seriously, Rooster?"

He was a riot.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

My flock sometimes wander across the road (taller grass/weeds and better pickins)... not good at any time but really bad during planting and harvest... I just step out on the porch and ask my roo what he thinks he's doing taking the girls over there... he brings them right back. Conditioning... yep... my voice=goodies... but I do have good roos!

ps: my call is "chick-chick-chick-chick-chick..." but they also come to "kittie-kittie-kittie...".

 

[Chickenaddict]

All of my birds come to me when I call them. If they happen to wonder up to the patio, I go out there and tell em "git" and point to the coop way in the backyard and they all go running back to the coop. Merlin sounds like he will be a very good boy for you and your flock

enjoy and congrats!

 

[Moxiechick]

Quote:
I just uploaded a few pictures I took the other day. They're a little blurry. Hopefully next time I can take some better ones.

I'm aware of how conditioning works. I'm just surprised because I had never fed him and called him by name before. It was always just "Hey Merlin, how're you doing?" or "Hi Merlin, you're such a retty boy." etc.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

purdy boy!