Training chickens for part-time free range?

[NatJ]

Is there any way that I can get my chickens back into their coop other than picking them up?

As many other people have said, treats work.

I have learned not to use things like bread crusts for getting chickens into a pen: the first one grabs the bread crust and runs back out, and the others follow.

So now I like wet chicken food as a treat, because the chickens seem to love it but cannot pick up bits and run away with it It's just their normal chicken food with water added.

I like to whistle when putting down the dish of wet chicken food or any other treat, so I end up with chickens that come when I whistle. Pretty much any sound will do to call chickens, as long as that sound always means something tasty.

 

[Izzyisdizzy11]

As many other people have said, treats work.

I have learned not to use things like bread crusts for getting chickens into a pen: the first one grabs the bread crust and runs back out, and the others follow.

So now I like wet chicken food as a treat, because the chickens seem to love it but cannot pick up bits and run away with it It's just their normal chicken food with water added.

I like to whistle when putting down the dish of wet chicken food or any other treat, so I end up with chickens that come when I whistle. Pretty much any sound will do to call chickens, as long as that sound always means something tasty.

Thanks, I'll try the wet chicken food

 

[Ascholten]

Oh they can run plenty fast from predators, by the time they get flight, whatever is chasing them probably got to them, the flight saves the rest of them maybe..... ie I don't have to be faster than the bear.... just faster than YOU ! type thing.

Clipping wings, even with wings clipped, they put enough effort into it, they can still take off, unless you take pretty much ALL the flight feathers off. I have a video of a jack in the box rigged with a little DC motor on the crank pin, a fruit snack on top of the box... and the cockatoo who made that magic happen to prove that clipped wings do NOT stop flight . he got even with me though...yes I deserved to have that shoe chewed up im sure

Anyways, if you do part time free range, I did this often when working odd shifts, wait until about an hour before sunset or however long YOU have to be free to babysit them. Depends on the birds but I had one that would wait until the very last absolute fraction of a second of sunlight, to finally go in to roost.

DO count on them getting into stuff you do NOT want them to as well if you are not out there watching them while they roam around. You know what, here's an idea, you want to get them into the cage as quickly as possible? Great. all you need to do is point to the cage and say NO... BAD BIRD.. turn around and they'll be in there in about 10 seconds later
Aaron

 

[Izzyisdizzy11]

Oh they can run plenty fast from predators, by the time they get flight, whatever is chasing them probably got to them, the flight saves the rest of them maybe..... ie I don't have to be faster than the bear.... just faster than YOU ! type thing.

Clipping wings, even with wings clipped, they put enough effort into it, they can still take off, unless you take pretty much ALL the flight feathers off. I have a video of a jack in the box rigged with a little DC motor on the crank pin, a fruit snack on top of the box... and the cockatoo who made that magic happen to prove that clipped wings do NOT stop flight . he got even with me though...yes I deserved to have that shoe chewed up im sure

Anyways, if you do part time free range, I did this often when working odd shifts, wait until about an hour before sunset or however long YOU have to be free to babysit them. Depends on the birds but I had one that would wait until the very last absolute fraction of a second of sunlight, to finally go in to roost.

DO count on them getting into stuff you do NOT want them to as well if you are not out there watching them while they roam around. You know what, here's an idea, you want to get them into the cage as quickly as possible? Great. all you need to do is point to the cage and say NO... BAD BIRD.. turn around and they'll be in there in about 10 seconds later
Aaron

Thanks