This clause was take out fromChicken Keeping Pure + Simple : A Fun , Friendly Guide to Backyard Chicken Keeping , by Nikki Husted , print May 2023 by Cool Springs Press .
After you have taught the childrento interact calmly with thechickens , adding in a few interactiveactivities can be rewarding for everyoneinvolved . feed chickens from yourhands is exciting on its own , but chickenslike to play games and can even learntricks ! It is such a sport adventure for childrento be able to show off their chickentraining skills to visitant as well . think , not allchickens are up for the task . Choose chickens to work with that havefriendly dispositions . My questioning chickensare also partial of these game .
Lap Jumping
One of my favourite prank to teach a chicken is circuit jump . It ’s well-to-do to instruct as well ! Start by ride on the ground with your leg crisscross with one chicken out in the chiliad with you . Show the crybaby that you have feed in your hands . veritable chicken provender will work but chuck or mealworms might be better ! Put the treat in your right hand and interbreed it over to the left side of your consistence with the crybaby on that side as well . allow the volaille have a few from your hand while you hold your hand to the side of your organic structure . Then begin pull the helping hand back across your body . Allow the chicken to have a few more with each front . Soon your hired man will be at the middle of your lap and then out of the volaille ’s reach . For the chicken to attain the food , she will need to parachute into your lap . When she does , feed her a big handful as a reward ! I wish to total in a clicking noise with my oral fissure right before I get her to jump up . Soon she will be able to leap out up when she hear the noise .
Have your child bust jean or put a towel on their overlap to avoid scratches ! My boy Henry love helping with the crybaby . Well , he love to play with them and bung them . When it ’s prison term to clean the chicken coop , he ’s nowhere to be found .
Getting Air
Have you ever visualize a wimp jump direct up into the air ? It is pretty comical and actually easy to teach ! Start by stand on the ground with one or two chickens . have a chuck or mealworm above the Gallus gallus where they can well reach it . After they take it , do it again but a diminutive bit higher . Keep drop dead until they have to stretch or stand on their tiptoe to hand it . When they dominate that , admit it higher and eminent until they are jumping for it ! How high can you get your poulet to jump ?
Hidden Snacks
Chickens are very food for thought motivated . Are n’t we all ?
You and your child can learn them to knock over a cupful to find their food . This is best done with one chicken at a clip . Put a paper cup upside down on the dry land . Place a treat on top . They will chance this treat speedily . After doing that a few times , put the treat on the ground in front of the cup . Then , put the loving cup half over the treat so it is sticking out a bit . After doing this several times , cover the treat and intercept the loving cup with your finger . If they start investigate but ca n’t get it , tap the cup , then lift it slimly and let them grab the treat . Soon , you will be capable to intercept the cup and the wimp will knock it over , revealing the payoff ! How many cups can they knock over in a row ?
The Card Trick
For a more modern whoremonger , try teaching your chicken to tapdance a sure card for a treat . This one takes time and patience , but I was able to civilize my bossiest hen to do this trick . It gave the plenty a faulting from her authoritarianism and give her something to do . Start by removing her from the beguilement of the flock . Show her one card ( I take the ace of spades ) . come out the card on the flat coat and put a treat on top . Tap it with your fingerbreadth and make a clicking haphazardness with your back talk . Do that over and over until she takes it . practise this multiple times for a few days . When she is grabbing the goody instantly , try the tap and click but without a treat . If she taps the scorecard , give her a treat outright . Do this until she has it mastered . Next , try adding another card and only treat her when she taps the original one . I got my biddy to recognise the 1 of spades in a lineup of five cards !
Other Ideas
A merriment way for children to interact with their chicken is to have them make action or toys for them . My youngster are always up for a playfulness craft and involving the chickens is even good . Let me partake in a few favorites .
