Training Chickens: How to Teach Fun Tricks & More

Are you curious about training your chicken to do fun tricks? Not only is training chickens entertaining for you and them, but activities allow for mental stimulation. As with humans and other pets, this enrichment makes way for a more fulfilled life.

Caring for chickens should be exciting! These fun chicken tricks are easy to teach, mostly because chickens are very smart animals. We’ll share a few ideas from coming when called and completing obstacle courses to brain games and treat leaps. 

Are chickens easy to train?

Just like with many pets, chickens are food-motivated. Get some chicken scratch or a special treat ready, and you’ll be well on your way to training your chicken to do fun and practical tricks!

Here are a few tips for training chickens:

• Practice as often as you can.
• Use food to encourage them.
• Start with a dominant chicken to encourage the others.
• Be patient and have fun!

What tricks can I teach my chickens?

Of course, there are practical things we need to teach when caring for chickens. These are things like making sure they learn that their coop is a safe haven and their nesting box is for laying eggs. Typically, functional training happens naturally over time. They will learn quickly what their home is and where they can take care of their ‘everyday business.’

Let’s check out some more exciting tricks to try when training chickens...

Come When Called

Naming your chickens is one of the most fun parts of caring for chickens! And, the more you use their name, the quicker they’ll be able to recognize it and come when called. Here’s how to teach your chickens to come when called, which you can also use to call your flock over.

1. Get a treat you know your flock enjoys (something special they might not get often).
2. Stand in view of them with the treat in your hand. Either call a chicken’s name specifically and give the treat when they come or use a signal to call your flock (such as hand clapping).
3. If you’re calling the flock, have your dominant hen notice the treat. If she comes, the rest will likely follow.

Tip: If you’re training a specific chicken to come when they hear their name, stand close to them and move further away as you practice.

Obstacle Course

One of the most exciting chicken tricks is having them be able to complete an obstacle course. This is something you can create with items at home, and it’s especially a good activity to do with your children. Find items at home you can make tunnels, ramps, and jump rings with. Remember, it’s just a toy your flock will play outside with, so no need to make anything too fancy.

When training chickens to complete an obstacle course, start with a friendly chicken to be your role model. And, don’t forget the treats for encouragement!

Brain Games

Here’s another entertaining one you can get creative with. Did you know chickens have the intelligence of a 3 or 4-year-old? And, we know that children this age are like sponges! Check out these ideas for brain games you can teach your chickens:

• Pecking objects of a specific color
• Getting a treat out of a feeder ball
• Pecking the same playing card even after you shuffle the stack

Don’t forget to praise your chickens with treats. You’d be surprised what brain games your chickens can successfully complete! This study shows just how intelligent chickens really are!

Wear a Harness

While this is one of the practical chicken tricks, training chickens to wear a harness can allow you to do more things together. A chicken harness like this one is made to be comfortable and allow for easy walking. There’s really no special tip for this one, other than practicing and making it enjoyable by having treats on hand for praise.

Treat Leap

All this talk of treats, the treat leap is a special way for your flock to earn those treats. Simply hold the treat above your chicken’s head, have them notice it, and encourage them with words and your hand to jump up. You can start small, then move it further away with time.

Check out this guide to what chickens can eat for treat ideas.

When should I start training my chickens?

There’s really no better time to start training chickens than now! Whether you’ve got young chicks or older chickens, they’re such smart animals that they’ll catch on. If you’ve got an older hen, it could help to start by training her, and the flock will likely catch on and follow.

Key Takeaways on Training Chickens

Training chickens is a fun way to bond with them and teach them fun tricks. It also allows you to do more with them and provides mental stimulation to keep them happy and healthy. If you have children, you can get them involved with teaching chicken tricks allowing them to also learn essential skills, including patience, creativity, and responsibility.

You really can’t go wrong with adding tricks to your method of raising a chicken or flock. Just be sure to have fun!

Read more: 19 Unique Gifts for Chicken Lovers