Training them to not run away from you?

[Mommychef]

Is there way to train your chickens so that they won't run away when you try to catch them? We have to trap ours in the coop and even then catching them is a chore. What can I do so They will allow me to handle them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Short answer: food.

How old are they and how long have you had them?

 

[Sonya9]

Taming when they are tiny using food and gentle holding is the easiest. Trying to catch them is like being chased by a deadly predator and sets all their internal alarms off.

Some of my older layers do not want to be touched, they are healthy and doing fine therefore I do not touch them.

Why are you trying to catch them?

 

[Bear1978]

Remember too that they’re prey animals. Their natural instinct is to run away from things that are bigger than they are which they precieve as something wanting to eat them! So try as rose said, using food, squat down to their level, move slow and talk calmly. No how calm they may be, you start chasing them, they will most likely run.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Food definitely! Plus a sound you will always make when calling them. Like chick chick chick chick!

 

[Mommychef]

Short answer: food.

How old are they and how long have you had them?

They're about 6 months old now, & I've had them since about 4 weeks old

 

[Mommychef]

Here they are!

 

[bobbi-j]

Why are you chasing and catching them?

 

[Mommychef]

Needed to put no crow collars on the cockerels, plus i wanted to just do wellness checks. They're docile once caught, will let you pet them forever

 

[Bear1978]

Wear a headlamp and do the wellness checks at night when they’re on the roost and confined to one place. Or when you open the pop door in the morning and they are busy at the feeder give them a once over then.