Come come chicken come come
Every chicken is different
Taming, is that even possible? – Yes it is possible! Every breed, including every chicken, has its own personality and character traits. So you shouldn’t be surprised if, for example, an Orpington that has good contact with humans constantly runs after you and begs you or, on the contrary, a Lakenfelder won’t even eat out of your hand. You should therefore consider in advance what requirements – apart from the number of eggs or meat characteristics – you have of your chickens. In our breed overview, the chickens can also be sorted according to how trusting they are, making it easier to choose.
Which breeds are suitable for taming
In general, it can be said that the heavyweights among the large breeds are on average very patient and gentle and not very jumpy, in contrast to the lighter ones, which sometimes flare up when they get frightened. Exceptions prove the rule here too, of course, such as the Serama. Also the character of each individual chicken. Last but not least, of course, it depends on how the chicken was raised. Does it come from a breeder, who are not known for spending several hours a day with their chickens, or do you get your chickens from a private chicken lover who makes an effort to tame them?
Taming chickens with patience
The magic word, as with any other animal, is patience.
There are a few little tricks you can use to help yourself. Chickens are not stupid and learn quickly when they want to. Get a plastic scoop from the pet shop. The kind that is actually intended for dry dog food. Preferably in a striking color for recognition value. The best way to start is like this: Go into the enclosure once or twice a day with this scoop filled with treats, and scatter it over a large area. Stand still and just watch, for the first few days this should serve as an “Aha, the human brings me great things and doesn’t hurt me”. You can also come up with an acoustic command, be it a “come come come” or a clucking sound like “Baack Baack”, which should serve as a food call. This can be very practical when living with chickens if one accidentally escapes.
Bribing chickens with food
If the new arrivals do not dare to eat in the presence of humans, slowly withdraw and leave. Do this until they eat when you are standing in the enclosure. Always use the same scoop and the same call. After a while, don’t scatter the grains so widely that they have to come closer to you. Sit quietly in the grass or on a small stool and feed your gang. In summer you can also do this without food, just sit with them so that they learn that humans don’t hurt me.
There will certainly be one or two specimens that are a bit braver and look at you curiously. Then try slowly offering it the scoop to see if it eats from it. If one dares, the others will follow suit at some point. But don’t try to touch the animals yet, as this trust that has just been built up could be shaken. Chickens are not really cuddly animals.
You’ll be fine, don’t worry
If it has worked a few times that they eat from the scoop, sprinkle some of the scoop on your hand. However, this will take some effort until they peck from it. Chickens can distinguish between the human hand and the shovel. When they are ready to routinely eat from your hand, you can carefully touch them with your second hand while they are eating. Some may be frightened and back away, but usually the greedier ones will not even notice that you are touching them. Or they simply don’t care because they are EATING. You can now gradually build on this light touching of the feathers and touch them a little more and even really scratch their feathers. Some really like it and some don’t, you’ll have to find out for yourself.
It is impossible to say how long this process generally takes. It really depends on the individual chicken and the owner. Above all, how much time I invest. If I only do this exercise once a day or if my chickens only see me once a day, it naturally takes much longer than if I go to them every hour to see what they are up to. If you already have the rascals as chicks through your own brood, it is of course much easier. They learn as babies not to fear humans and that they always have tasty things.
Summon chickens
Let's come back to the call for a moment. The shovel is only a visual recognition feature. So at some point your chickens will come running when they see the shovel. But if one of them has run out or is lying in some bushes snoozing and you can't find it, it will set off at the latest when it hears the food call. You can then lure it back into the enclosure.