starting clicker training with chicks

[Orps]

What fun you and your birds are having by jumping and touching a target. It really is about learning being a form of play with clear yes and no but not including any punishment. Positive reinforcement makes any food-oriented animal search for the right answer, often offering other ideas to see if they are on the right track. For that, they are not clicked or rewarded. My horse had true seeking behavior, often trying various things he had already learned with a clicker. Then I would make it more clear (easier) when he tried something which would lead to the correct answer if completed - incremental steps.Are they growing larger or is that lap shrinking?

Too Funny!

 

[Yukonchick]

Ya mine are just over 4 weeks old now and they come running into the chicken house when i call them.

 

[gingerpeach22]

Haha, love them taking "a dust bath" on black plastic. Never underestimate the power of instinct. Still waiting for helper to harness chicken - maybe next week. Time to refresh pecking plastic piece with click/treat again. Subsequent lesson will introduce second color, when I will click and treat only for pecking the original color. Color discrimination, is it wrong? LOL

No, two years is not too old. The principle is positive reinforcement and that works at any age for any animal or human I am told. I could train you to sit on a chair the very same way, but your reward would be dollars. You would play "hot or cold" to try to find the right answer again to earn your reward and the CLICK would say an instantaneous YES, right answer. More money.

 

[icebat5000]

What if you don't have a clicker? Could you use something else that makes noise like say a whistle?

 

[Orps]

Just in case anyone is interested. This came through my CCPDT(Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) list. 3 day clicker training class(with chickens) in Vermont. Wished they offered in at the ADPT(Association of Pet Dog trainer) conference last year. Anwyay, I'm not going(too far away) nor I'm associated with the group that is holding it but I thought it was intersting since I'm playing around with clicker training with chickens.

A Taste of Chicken Clickin'
"Training is an art, a science and a mechanical skill." - Bob Bailey
Friday, September 28thth, Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th, 2012 Farming Connections, Stable Drive, Guilford, Vermont
CEUs applied for: IAABC and CCPDT

 

[Yukonchick]

Actually they aren't tryin to dust bath on the black vinyl, they just like to stretch out and snooze. I think they like to feel of smoothness on their feathers.

 

[gingerpeach22]

Sure, instead of a clicker, see if you can click with your tongue - put it behind your upper front teeth & stiffen your tongue muscle & pop it off. Just learn to make it fairly consistent. I switched to tongue when holding a clicker became clumsy for my horse.

The dog/chicken man has videos - bet they are on uTube or just Google his name. I've seen one or two. Local workman said his sister went to dog/chicken clicker program & liked it. Here, I found a couple of sites: http://www.clickersolutions.com/interviews/bailey.htm
uTube on Mr. Bailey:

(other titles on right of that page re dogs or chickens, but have not personally explored them)