Trained chickens

[Rick589]

Maybe I’m losing my mind but it seems that after several months of ‘herding’ our small flock to stay within our unfenced property line they seem to have settled into staying within the lines on their own. Is it possible to sort of train chickens, have I entered an alternate universe in my own head, are we experiencing a new reality never seen before?

 

[sourland]

It's possible, but don't trust them to remain 'trained'.

 

[Loving my girls]

I would agree with Sourland.
I trained Tilly in the summer to only clear my potager within a boundary of sticks. This worked great for months even when I moved the sticks but the other day, I’m in winter now, I caught her behind me digging to my spinach.
Admittedly there were no sticks showing a boundary

 

[Daisy June]

Maybe I’m losing my mind but it seems that after several months of ‘herding’ our small flock to stay within our unfenced property line they seem to have settled into staying within the lines on their own. Is it possible to sort of train chickens, have I entered an alternate universe in my own head, are we experiencing a new reality never seen before?

I wouldn't surprise me! Don't you just love them?

 

[Shadrach]

A world of difference between chickens having boundies and a person setting such boundries for chickens.
Chickens do accept boundries but to look at such boundreis as an electric fence beyonf which the chicken wont venture would be a mistake. Chickens are naturally territorial. They will, given enough room, set their own boundries. Chances of them staying within these boundries depends on many things like food availability, cover spots, other creatures inside the boundries, dust bathing spots, hens outside the boundries the males might court and of course their own population fluctuations.
If one was to start with a boundry encompassing a couple of acres they may well stay within that. However, if there is something that interests them outside this boundry they will investigate. If the chickens don't find any obvious risks to kife and limb they may well visit such a place and if favourable, they may include the new area into their territory. Plenty of people keep free ranging birds and they tend not to wander past a certain distance once they've become familiar with their surroundings.
A few stakes in the ground hoping that the chickens will not touch those lovely brassica plants on the other side isn't likely to work for very long.

 

[Rick589]

A world of difference between chickens having boundies and a person setting such boundries for chickens.
Chickens do accept boundries but to look at such boundreis as an electric fence beyonf which the chicken wont venture would be a mistake. Chickens are naturally territorial. They will, given enough room, set their own boundries. Chances of them staying within these boundries depends on many things like food availability, cover spots, other creatures inside the boundries, dust bathing spots, hens outside the boundries the males might court and of course their own population fluctuations.
If one was to start with a boundry encompassing a couple of acres they may well stay within that. However, if there is something that interests them outside this boundry they will investigate. If the chickens don't find any obvious risks to kife and limb they may well visit such a place and if favourable, they may include the new area into their territory. Plenty of people keep free ranging birds and they tend not to wander past a certain distance once they've become familiar with their surroundings.
A few stakes in the ground hoping that the chickens will not touch those lovely brassica plants on the other side isn't likely to work for very long.

We are on 1.25 acres in what I would describe as a rural development. As I stated at the beginning the chickens would, without exception, drift off of the property. We would have to ride herd over them as we maintained a physical supervision of them. Lately I’ve noticed that they don’t seem to drift as much and our oversight of them, while still there, has become somewhat less intense. We have been able to direct our attention to other things more often, while they’ve been out and about. Noted this change, if you will, recently during these colder months. Perhaps the winter has something to do with it?

 

[Shadrach]

Perhaps the winter has something to do with it?

Difficult to say. On the one hand winter may mean they have to forage further afield to find what they need and on the other, if adequate nitrition is available supplied by the keeper, they may not feel it's worth the risks involved in expanding their range.
What resources including cover they have close by has a major influence and the landscape close to their coops and feeding stations.
If you are out there with them supervising and they only range under this condition then you may find you become the focal point for the group and they will stay within hearing range of you, even f you have males in the group.

 

[AntiqueB]

This is what mine do. If I move to one part of the garden, they follow me there. Move to another part, they follow me. But if I stay too long in one place, they do expand their circle around me. Until I move, and then they follow again.

 

[Rick589]

This is what mine do. If I move to one part of the garden, they follow me there. Move to another part, they follow me. But if I stay too long in one place, they do expand their circle around me. Until I move, and then they follow again.

We’re not that fortunate but they seem to have calmed down on the exploration quite a bit. Seems better if we leave them alone rather than play chicken herder.

 

[Rick589]

So about those old memories, remember when Cracker Jack had an actual toy in the box?