Chicken pecking

[Martin]

We let ours out every morning, but we prefer them to be in the run if we're not in the house. We've seen no signs of foxes around, and we have a small garden with a largish wall all round - but even so....

 

And of course, some mornings, they just don't want to return to the run.

 

Chasing them is about as productive as herding cats. Good exercise, but gets you nowhere. We've never succeeded in picking Ethel up at all - and Doris has to be in the right mood. So catching them is a no-no.

 

Bribery with raisins worked for a while. And then they got bored with that.

 

But I've finally found a foolproof method.

 

1) put either Shreddies or Bran Flakes into a bowl; perhaps with a little milk.

2) walk outside with the bowl held high. Ethel and Doris assume it's something they want, because they can't see it.

3) Doris and Ethel run round my feet frantically

4) walk to entrance of run, and tip the contents of the bowl well into the run.

5) Doris gallops in, and starts pecking at food.

6) Ethel looks at me as if to say "You must think I'm daft!"

7) Ethel then realizes that Doris has got something she hasn't got, and runs back and forth outside the side of the run frantically.

Ethel finally cottons on that she's got to go in through the door to share in the treat.

9) Close door triumphantly

10) Chickens pull themselves up to their full height, and look straight at me (sideways!) as if to say "I'll get you for that, Buster!". Then return to Bran Flakes.

 

Ethel and Doris are interchangeable in this scenario.

 

Any other methods?

[Guest]

We use cooked spaghetti. We, also, take it out in a bowl and then hold some up high - Millie and Tallulah will follow anywhere, jumping and fighting.

 

Perhaps it looks like worms?

 

Lesley & Carl

Nr.Stratford upon Avon

[Guest]

Further to my previous reply, yesterday we went to a farm to buy two more chickens. The lady we bought from told me about a trick she uses. She has corn in a small container and when she shakes it all the hens come running. She said it is very useful if you have chickens that stray as they will hear it from 'miles' away and come running!

 

We tried it with a plastic container, which makes enough noise for our garden, but M & T weren't too interested in the corn so we tried again later with their favourite - tinned sweetcorn. We shook the corn in the container but gave them sweetcorn.

 

We'd never thought of getting them to associate a noise with getting a treat but it makes a lot of sense.

 

Lesley and Carl

Nr.Stratford upon Avon

[Guest]

My girls are thankfully very easy to get back into the run. They will kill for grapes or paste, so I just call them and then throw a few into the run. I also find that rattling a little corn in a plastic cup works if I can't find them in the garden.

 

Has anyone got any good advice about socialising dogs with their chickens, I've had my chickens for 5 months now and still two of my three dogs just want to eat my poor little girls. I cannot let them out of the run if the dogs are in the garden, but they ignore them in the run, I don't want to risk them getting injured.

[Geraldine]

Hi Angie

 

I have 4 Border Collie and 2 Great Danes, one of which is a 5 month old deaf puppy. We are suckers for a sob story!. Anyway the deaf puppy has taken a great fancy to a chicken dinner and infact got hold of our Cagney and frightened her quite alot. I now have to be very careful when the chickens are wondering around. The only way I deal with it is to follow puppy when she wakes up (Great DAnes do sleep alot) and if she goes near the pen I push her away and shake my hand and look cross (You can't do much else with a deaf one) I always have something with me that will occupy the puppy better - usually a toy and sometimes a treat. I am certain that dogs can learn to keep a healthy distance away. The border collies by the waytake no notice ofCagney and Lacey.

Not much help I know but perhaps it might help. If you hear of anything let me know

[motherhen]

Bribery with most of the already mentioned food stuffs although cooked white rice is a particular favourite and it shows up well on the ground. The other method I use if in a hurry is gentle herding as you would do with a pig - board in one hand and long stick in other. Sybil is usually fine about being picked up but Pollo doesn't enjoy it so either of the above methods is much more comfortable and stress-free for her.

[glowingsheep]

We started with a slow herding approach but they quickly learned to take themselves to bed. When we go out it only usually takes a quick shake of the peanut to get them scuttling up to and into the run.

 

The 'taking no chances' / we're-feeling-guilty-for-locking-them-up approach is to lob some corn down the run - Betty then can't get in fast enough. This had worked flawlessly up til yesterday when Petunia cracked us up by somehow managing to miss the entrance to the run ending up stood on the outside alongside Betty watching her hoover up the corn. She wasn't a happy chicken!

[glowingsheep]

We started with a slow herding approach but they quickly learned to take themselves to bed. When we go out it only usually takes a quick shake of the peanut to get them scuttling up to and into the run.

 

The 'taking no chances' / we're-feeling-guilty-for-locking-them-up approach is to lob some corn down the run - Betty then can't get in fast enough. This had worked flawlessly up til yesterday when Petunia cracked us up by somehow managing to miss the entrance to the run ending up stood on the outside alongside Betty watching her hoover up the corn. Not a happy chicken!

[James H]

for the first few nights we had to hallf chase half shove into their run but after a fortnihgt they put themselves to bed at very sensible hours!

[foreveryoung]

I just call them and make a clicking sort of sound?

 

 

 

if fails I resort to a treat!

 

 

hummmmm i havent given the porrage since last winter think i might make some up as a treat!

[Olly]

crumbs James, you must have spent ages reading through lots of old posts!

 

Mealworms. Works every time - there is nothing my chickens won't do for mealworms.