Teaching your chicken to come when called. – Chickens and Potatoes

Do you want your chickens to come running across the yard when you call them? Here is how you can make that happen!

Step One:

You need to know what their favorite treats are. Mine LOVE meal worms. They will go to the ends of the Earth for some meal worms.

Step Two:

Every time you treat them (it doesn’t have to be much) you say your call (mine is a high to low “Chickies”). You can even start this in the brooder, every time you come in with food say your call and talk to them. They will begin to associate you with food! Which is their all time favorite thing.

Step Three:

Every time you come to their pen with treats, say your call and give them a treat. You don’t want to over-treat them, so only treat them small amounts while you are training them. A little goes a long way.

Step Four:

Now whenever you are walking up to the chicken’s enclosure and you say your call, they should be alert and up near the fence to receive treats. When they are free ranging approach them with the treats and say your call. Give them the treats and then leave them be. Extend the distance each time. Do this and your chickens will be pros!

Step Five

At this point you should be able to step out into the yard, do your call, and the chickens come running. Be sure that in these early stages that you treat them! You do not want to cause the behavior to go extinct. Extinction is when the behavior is asked for, but not rewarded , and the animal stops doing the behavior after the cue. You don’t have to treat them every time you call them, but don’t go to long without treating them or they will stop listening!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me! ([email protected])