Can you teach chickens simple tricks?

[Tatuana]

This isn't a huge pressing issue, more of a curiosity than anything. One of the kids I babysit asked me today if my chickens know any tricks, or if they're teachable. It got me wondering, can you actually teach them simple tricks or tasks? If so, how do you go about it? What kinds of things can you teach them? Lay down? Move a ball? I've no idea how smart a chicken is!

Speaking of teaching them, is it possible to get them to hold still while you feed them a treat? Not a grab and run type deal? I'd like to be able to see them more than "MINE GIMMIE BYE!".

Also, do chickens like being held/pet? Is that something I could teach three week old babies? Or are they too old? I've been fairly hands off up until the last week. They're comfortable with me picking them up, but it doesn't seem to excite them.

I fully admit this is more for amusements sake than being practical. Angry Baby seems especially smart. He's also VERY greedy. In a perfect world I'd like to train him to do something for a treat rather than just steal the other chicken's treats from their mouths. Maybe sit or something.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I've definitely seen YouTube videos of chickens trained to do miniature agility courses, though I've never tried it myself. I imagine that intelligence and train-ability can vary between chickens. I have one hen who is smart enough to trick the rooster into getting stuck in the fence, while some will constantly spill water and get closed in doors.

If you handle your birds a lot when they are young, they will most likely be more social with you as adults. All of mine were raised by me with constant petting and holding. Some of them grew up to actually enjoy hugs and petting, while others avoid me like the plague.

Good luck with your birds! If you do successfully train them, please post! The BYC community would love to see it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This isn't a huge pressing issue, more of a curiosity than anything. One of the kids I babysit asked me today if my chickens know any tricks, or if they're teachable. It got me wondering, can you actually teach them simple tricks or tasks? If so, how do you go about it? What kinds of things can you teach them? Lay down? Move a ball? I've no idea how smart a chicken is!

Also, do chickens like being held/pet? Is that something I could teach three week old babies? Or are they too old? I've been fairly hands off up until the last week. They're comfortable with me picking them up, but it doesn't seem to excite them.

I don't see why you can't teach them tricks. They might already know some without you even knowing, like coming up to you when you shake a canister of treats. Training any animal is just about marking (i.e. using a clicker when desired behavior occurs) and rewarding (food!) Not sure how you'd convince a chicken to roll a ball though...

Some chickens like being held/petted. Some hate it and will always hate it no matter how much you handle them. Most will tolerate it to some degree, more or less. Even if they don't like it however it's a good idea to get them used to being picked up in case you need to give them medical treatment or just to check them over for general health.

 

[WaterGoat]

With bridging and target training you can get an animal to learn just about anything. (I've even seen people target train fish!) This website has a pretty good description of bridging and target training specifically for chickens. These are the same steps used at zoos for training their animals for things like medical procedures (say, like a bear presenting a paw for a blood draw or opening it's mouth on command for a dental exam). Good luck playing with your chickens!

 

[Tatuana]

With bridging and target training you can get an animal to learn just about anything. (I've even seen people target train fish!) This website has a pretty good description of bridging and target training specifically for chickens. These are the same steps used at zoos for training their animals for things like medical procedures (say, like a bear presenting a paw for a blood draw or opening it's mouth on command for a dental exam). Good luck playing with your chickens!

Ohh, that's perfect! And apparently I've been doing some of that without realizing it. Angry Baby is also Greedy Baby. When I give them treats I sit on the ground and hold them in my hands. I then say the chick's name and give them a treat. So Invi knows that when I say "Invi" there's food for her. It sorta worked. Until Angry Baby realized that those names mean he can hurry and steal the treat. He also hops up into my lap if I'm not feeding him fast enough. And this afternoon he did this weird thing where he hopped up onto some books I had stacked next to me and jumped into my hand to get treats faster. I moved the books and he figured it out again quickly. I didn't really think anything of it until I read the article.

They all know how to jump for the treats, but I figure that's just a chicken thing. Oogity is a high jumper.

Since Angry Baby seems to already be figuring out how to work the system for treats I'll see if I can train him to do something! He doesn't have to preform, just something cute to amuse the kids. And the lady I've arranged with to adopt him when he's too big for me thinks it's a hoot.


For chickens themselves, are they always pushy/greedy or is it possible to get them to share treats? When one baby gets a treat the others fight for it. And is it possible to convince them to not run away with said treat?

I should also be clear - I'm NOT going to turn them into a circus animal. Just pets. The lady who's agreed to take them when I can't keep them has 40+ acres with horses and pigs she's going to free range on. She already has 20 chickens, but they're not friendly. Her 3 year old is thrilled at the idea of a friendly chicken. I also figure a chicken with a few tricks up his sleeve will be easier to rehome than a wild chicken, especially as they're generic breeds.

 

[123RedBeard]

@Faraday40

Here's a couple of post on her daughter ... and Bubbles ...

DD is still working with our Dominque, Bubbles - The Amazing Psychic Chicken!

She trained Bubbles to peck at the Q Hearts. If DD does her part of the magic trick correctly, the volunteer "randomly' picks the Queen on Hearts. Then she lays out the cards & the volunteer must think very hard about their card. (without saying the answer out loud LOL) Bubbles can always read their mind & select the Q Hearts! Way to go Bubbles!!!!

She also trained a few other chickens. (Those are more practical, though. The magic trick is more for fun & will be entered in the county fair.)

The chicks were trained to go back & forth from the coop to the tractor for grass time each day.

Our sebright also comes & lands on our arm when called. (Very helpful because this little bird can fly over any fence. It's also a lot of fun to hold out my arm and call her name as a bird comes flying down out of the tree.)

The judges not only enjoyed DD's chicken training presentation, but one of them gave her contact info because she wants to buy some chicks from us. As we were leaving from the 1st day of judging, DD saw her poster was moved to the front with the big "Best in Show" rosette. (She completed 17 different projects this year.)

Here's the poster she made to go along with her training video.

I liked how she stamped a trail of chicken feet across the bottom.
Video was posted earlier but here's another link.

The other really big project (below) was for vet sci. Thanks to some generous local BYC friends, she was able to conduct a 3rd trial and make some valid conclusions. She had roo fertility issues with trial 1 (He needed a butt fluff trim.) For trial 2 I used the bread machine next to where she placed her eggs. The table shook & the eggs got scrambled. (Only 50% hatched!) Then with only 6 weeks until the fair, she wanted to do a 3rd trial but wouldn't have the time to hatch AND wait for chicks to mature enough to identify gender. That's where the BYC friends came in. She was able to hatch some sexible breeds instead of our lav orps. We found out yesterday, that this project also won "Best in Show." Now my sweet girl must decide which project to bring to Springfield, IL. (Our county only allows a child to bring 1 project so more children have opportunities to go.)

BTW- Although many people say the rounded eggs= female & pointy eggs = male, she found this to be false. Only 38% of her gender predictions based on egg shape were true. With less than 50% correct, I think she would have had better accuracy flipping a coin. LOL Either way, she did a great job measuring the eggs, calculating ratios, making predictions, controlling variables, caring for chicks, and analyzing her data.

Guess who's learning how to play piano?
View attachment 1476118 View attachment 1476119

 

[rosemarythyme]

For chickens themselves, are they always pushy/greedy or is it possible to get them to share treats? When one baby gets a treat the others fight for it.

That's how they are. They're selfish and have no real concept of sharing, other than maybe roosters trying to tidbit hens or hens teaching their young.

 

[chickens really]

My Chickens jump trough hoops...Herd the dogs and come on command. ..I'm kidding
I've seen Chickens playing a kids piano..

 

[Faraday40]

My DD's the expert chicken trainer. I feel all chickens can be trained. However, some enjoy it more, and some are simply "smarter". I trained my Lavender Orpington "Cuddles" to peck at a small red dot. Then I would write words on note cards & place a small red dot on the card I wanted her to select. She traveled with me to several classrooms and the students were always amazed by her brilliance.... and ability to read and answer tough science questions. It took Cuddles a couple weeks to learn that basic trick without error. She was of course one of my favorite chickens.

Then DD decided to take it a step further for a 4H project. She trained her Dominique "Bubbles" the same "peck at the red target" routine - but in less than a week. Then she turned Bubbles into "The Amazing Psychic Chicken." Bubbles went on tour to all the local schools, showed off at assemblies & community events, and was in a parade. Bubbles even received fan mail and went on to learn to play piano.
Here was DD's orig project: (Bubbles is the 2nd half, but Trouble's trick was also pretty fun. Trouble flies well, so not a good bird to bring into schools.)

I used to think Cuddles was smart .... until Bubbles came along. For most people, chickens are not required to do tricks. However, training them to come when called & go into their coop on command makes life much easier. Basically come up with a call (like: "Here Chickens" or "Chick Chick Chick") and throw food by your feet. Or maybe carry a small "treat pail" and shake it before throwing the food down. The chickens learn to associate your call or the pail = food. To teach them how to go into the coop, get their attention with the call while standing just outside the coop. When they arrive, say 'Go coop' and throw the treats inside the coop where they will follow. Chickens love their food, so it only takes a small amount of repetition for them to learn.

Here's a video from a long time ago. The chicks followed me (& their food) to & from the coop & chicken tractor. I escorted them daily and after a week they actually ran ahead & waited for me to close the door behind them.

As far as the "cuddling" and being held. That's an individual thing. Most of our Orpingtons (especially those handled a lot as chicks) want nothing more than to be a lap chicken. Silkies are even worse and demand to be held or cry & whine for your attention. Trouble (our Sebright) is very friendly, but dislikes being held or confined. She'll gladly fly up to my arm or hang out on my shoulder, but if I actually "hold" her, she fusses & squirms.

 

[Serin]

Really cool training ideas there. Perhaps I can train my Olive to be..... The amazing psychic pigeon!