Training chicken to follow

[Transform987]

Hi mates I was wondering is it possible to train chickens to come to you or something I do not want advanced tricks or something just something that could save them if they get out for your information my chickens run away if you get close unless they are hungry In whick they will follow you my chickens are not big on treats they don't like peas berries greens carrot they just prefer normal food and grass which is everywhere. If this maybe an impossible task can I train my dog (the chickens love as it sniffs them and treats them respectfully) to herd them she is a terrier

 

[sourland]

Put some stones in a can and rattle it every time that you feed the birds. They will eventually come to associate the rattling with feed and come running when they hear the rattle. It was a trick that I used to call my pigeons in from flight when a hawk was in the area.

 

[Transform987]

Put some stones in a can and rattle it every time that you feed the birds.  They will eventually come to associate the rattling with feed and come running when they hear the rattle.  It was a trick that I used to call my pigeons in from flight when a hawk was in the area.

Thanks mate

 

[junebuggena]

Chickens are highly food motivated. Have you tried bird seed, scratch grains, or meal worms? Once you find something that they really love, use it. Everytime you go out to their run with something for them, use your 'call'. It doesn't take them long to learn that when 'call' them, you have something yummy for them. Mine will come flying from every direction.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Chickens usually learn by repetitive conditioning, so like the others said, a certain word or sound than a food reward they love.

 

[Zinniah]

I cant' get mine to stop following me! It shouldn't be to hard, just feed them treats like veggies, mine prefer green leafy veg, shredded carrot or squash. They also love weeds and bugs, if you dont raise your own bugs you can buy some at a pet store, they have dead and live bugs. Whenever i come out, they run full speed at me them follow me until they realize i have nothing for them. Its so bad that i pull weeds from the neighbors yard when i go out to keep the occupied because they get loud and clingy if im working on something. They ate everything in the yard and since its winter its not growing back at all. I'm sure my neighbors dont mind, they either dont know or dont care to say anything, lol. I am also raising insects, but there isn't enough to start feeding yet.

 

[azygous]

I have both a flock of twenty-one domestic chickens as well as dozens of wild turkeys that inhabit the acres surrounding my house.

Both the chickens and the turkeys respond immediately to my rattling a jar of scratch grain, and they all come running. They all will also come when I call them, "Come, you guys! Come on!" because they know those words mean grain is about to be tossed out.

When I want to get my chickens in right now, for example, I spotted a hawk flying over, I grab the jar of grain and shake it. The chickens come on a dead run.

So find the right treat to train them, use verbal cues of your choosing, and very soon you will have trained chickens that will come when you call them, even if you don't have time to run and get the food jar.

 

[Peeps61]

All of these posts give great advice! Mine learned that when the back door opened, a human would come out and the human usually had something for them to eat. Soon, they learned which human (me) would feed them the treats and would come to me whenever I was out in the yard with them. They even know which car is mine! I would try the meal worms. That's like crack for chickens and they can't resist. Soon, if you shake the bag (or can) and they can hear it, they'll come running. If you need to lock them up, throw the goodies in the run/coop and in they'll go.