Irrationally Upset with Chickens

[DragonflyAcres]

Sorry for the confusion. It's late and been a long day. Too many treats, meaning, volume - throughout the day - meaning, when they free range and I need to return them to the run - could be twice, sometimes four times a day. Depends on my schedule and when the dog needs to potty. Lately, they follow me and they don't get anything so I hope their following me doesn't stop if I'm inconsistent with the treats. I don't know how chickens think.

The trick is to come up with a consistent call that you do exactly the same way every time you give a treat. After a bit they will be conditioned to come when they hear the call, whether you have a treat or not. So treats don't have to be overdone, just reinforce with a treat sometimes, once they learn. My girls were such a hassle about going inside, but after a few days with a bag of mealworms and the same "C'mere Chickens!" call, they come to the call just like my dog comes when I whistle.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

hope their following me doesn't stop if I'm inconsistent with the treats. I don't know how chickens think.

Being inconsistent, believe it or not, is actually a great way to get them to come when you call - now that they know your call USUALLY means treats. Here's why. I call it the Jackpot syndrome. You can put money in a machine at the post office and get stamps every time, right? Yeah, but do you see people lining up to play those machines? Nope. Now think about the machines at a casino. People DON'T get a payout every single time. It's the randomness of the reward that makes it addictive. So give your girlies a nice payout at random, just often enough to keep them interested. Yeah, they're old enough to gamble!

 

[Bawkbok]

The trick is to come up with a consistent call that you do exactly the same way every time you give a treat. After a bit they will be conditioned to come when they hear the call, whether you have a treat or not. So treats don't have to be overdone, just reinforce with a treat sometimes, once they learn. My girls were such a hassle about going inside, but after a few days with a bag of mealworms and the same "C'mere Chickens!" call, they come to the call just like my dog comes when I whistle.

That's a great suggestion - I use a shaker cup and when they here it and see it they come running. I didn't think about adding a verbal to it. Duh

 

[Bawkbok]

Being inconsistent, believe it or not, is actually a great way to get them to come when you call - now that they know your call USUALLY means treats. Here's why. I call it the Jackpot syndrome. You can put money in a machine at the post office and get stamps every time, right? Yeah, but do you see people lining up to play those machines? Nope. Now think about the machines at a casino. People DON'T get a payout every single time. It's the randomness of the reward that makes it addictive. So give your girlies a nice payout at random, just often enough to keep them interested. Yeah, they're old enough to gamble!

That's perfect. Makes total sense.

 

[TeresaW]

 

[BigBlueHen53]

YIKES! Lol

 

[Bawkbok]

I was wondering why she ducked!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I can relate to OP's frustration with their chickens in a storm. Shortly after I first moved here to MO, we had a tornado in the area. I wanted to gather my chickens in ahead of the storm but, well, they weren't having it. I finally realized they'd just have to survive the best they could, or ... not. I imagined them being taken up in a swirling vortex and being set down later, miles away, plucked clean!

I needn't have worried. The tornado missed us by a couple of miles and the chickens never noticed a thing.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I was wondering why she ducked!

Whoa, talk about chicken math ....

 

[Bawkbok]

I'll take tornadoes over hurricanes any day. I miss the storms of the north, I used to watch them roll in and then with my tail between my legs, run to the basement for cover. LOL