What have you trained your chickens to do?

[epeloquin]

Like most people, our chickens love to free range in the yard. We live on less than 1/4 acre in a suburban area so we can't let them out all the time. We only let them out when we can be out with them. Plus there is a Cooper's hawk around. Anyway, it was always difficult to get the 'girls' to go back in their run. So, around 5-6 months ago I started saying "it's time to go in your house, go in your house" hoping to 'train' the hens to go in on their own. Over the last six weeks or so, all the effort has paid off. All we have to do is calmly walk behind them and keep saying "go in your house" and they march right in on their own. It is so cute! We used to need two people to corral them and we always had at least a couple we had to catch.

So, what have you trained your chickens to do?

 

[wayne hulgan]

One of ours will get the mail, another keeps the cars and trucks washed and the 2 white chicks take care of the garden lol lol lol.
just kidding. I do have them trained to come when I call. I am working on them now to stay inside our yard. We have about 3 acres for them to roam, but there are some places they don't need to go. I have a motion sensor that attaches to a water hose. I just put it where the chicks are not to go and presto, wet chickens. so far it seems to be working, they don't go near the woods anymore. I got the water thing when we had skunks, seemed to work pretty well on them also.

 

[theoldchick]

Neato!
My chickens are trained to come running and jump for a piece of bread. It's so funny to watch each hen wait their turn, hop up, and run off with their prize. Meanwhile Stan the Man is running around wondering where all the bread is coming from. I have to watch out for the hens who come back for seconds before the others get their firsts. Stan has yet to figure out what he's supposed to do.

 

[KnightNic]

Mine do that too! I say "in your house, in your house" and walk behind them. 90% of the time it works, the other 10% they head towards the house and just as they get to the door they all run in different directions across the yard.

The also love chasing, if I run down one end of the yard the put their heads down and charge after me. I don't think I've really 'taught' them this but it's our game before they go to bed.

Love them so much!

 

[epeloquin]

Yeah, my girls do that too. If they see me with anything in my hand they automatically think it is a treat for them which it usually is. I have several that like to jump up for whole grain bread. One of them jumps high too!