Free-ranging allows chicken to get nutritious diet and stay active. But, before you let them free, it is recommended that you train them to come back to their coops when called.
It’s fascinating to see flocks running towards you when you call them. When hens come to you with flapping wings and rolling bodies, it makes you laugh and feel excited.
To train your chickens to come when called needs a bit of patience and consistency. You can train your flock to respond to a specific call, whistle, or sound cue.
Why You Should Train Chickens to Come When Called?
Training your chickens to come when called may seem like a simple trick, but it has multiple practical benefits that improve their safety, convenience, and overall management.
Whether you are a backyard chicken keeper or a small-scale farmer, teaching this skill can make a big difference in how you care for your flock.
Below are the key reasons why you should train your chickens to come when called.
1. Safety and Protection from Predators
Chickens are vulnerable to predators like hawks, foxes, raccoons, stray dogs, and even neighborhood cats, especially when free-ranging. Teaching them to come when called allows you to quickly guide them to safety if danger arises.
If you spot a hawk overhead or a fox nearby, using a recall command can help you gather your flock into their coop or a secure run, reducing the risk of attacks.
Also Read: How Do I Ferment Chicken Feed?
2. Easier Coop Rounding and Night-time Safety
Chickens usually return to their coop at dusk, but they may sometimes stray too far or settle elsewhere. Rather than chasing them, calling them makes rounding them up easier.
If you consistently call them at the same time each evening, they will associate your call with safety and bedtime, reducing the risk of being left outside and exposed to predators.
3. Convenient and Stress-Free Management
Rounding up chickens can be frustrating, especially if they are spread out over a large area. Instead of chasing them, a simple call can quickly bring them to you.
This is helpful when moving them between enclosures, bringing them in before bad weather, or gathering them for feeding. Teaching them a recall command makes flock management easier and less stressful for both you and your birds.
4. Free-Ranging Control
Many chicken keepers allow their birds to free-range for foraging, pest control, and enrichment, but chickens don’t always stay within set boundaries.
Training them to come when called helps you guide them away from unwanted areas like neighbouring yards, roadsides, or garden beds. This allows for better control over their movement without constant confinement.
5. Bonding and Socialization
Chickens may not be traditional pets, but they are intelligent and can recognize their owners. Regularly calling them helps build trust by associating you with food and safety.
Over time, they will come to you not just for food but also for comfort, making them more social and enjoyable companions for backyard keepers.
6. Easier Health Checks and Medical Care
Chickens can develop health issues like mites, infections, or injuries, and calling them over makes it easier to check on them without chasing or stressing them. If a chicken is limping or acting lethargic, you can quickly assess them by having them come to you.
A trained recall command also helps when administering medication, applying treatments, or isolating a sick bird, making care much smoother.
7. Faster Response in Emergencies
Emergencies like storms, broken fences, or animal attacks can happen anytime, and a trained recall command helps bring chickens to safety quickly.
Calling them inside during sudden heavy rain or strong winds prevents injuries and exposure. If a chicken escapes through an open gate, being able to call it back can keep it from wandering too far.
8. Reducing Food Waste and Ensuring Equal Feeding
In a large flock, dominant chickens may hog the food while others get pushed aside. Calling them to a designated feeding spot ensures everyone gets a fair share.
It also helps prevent wasted food, which can attract pests like rats or wild birds, making feeding time more efficient and controlled.
9. Training for Future Tricks and Behavior Control
Chickens are intelligent and can learn more than just coming when called. Once they master recall training, you can teach them to return to a nesting box, respond to sound cues, or even follow you like a pet. This training enriches their environment, provides mental stimulation, and makes them easier to handle.
Check this: How to Make a Chicken Dust Bath?
How to Train Your Chickens to Come When Called?
Training chickens to come when called is a simple but useful skill that makes caring for them easier.
Chickens love food, which makes them great learners when you use the right approach. By pairing a specific sound with food and repeating it consistently, you can teach them to respond to your call every time.
Whether you want to protect them from predators, make feeding time smoother, or build a stronger bond with them, recall training is worth the effort. Here’s a simple guide to training your chickens.
Step-by-Step Guide to Training Your Chickens
Step 1: Choose a Distinct Call or Sound
Before starting, decide on a unique call or sound that your chickens will associate with coming to you. It can be a verbal cue like “Here, chick-chick!” or a simple whistle. Some people use a bell, a clicker, or shake a container of treats.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s distinct from everyday noises so your chickens don’t get confused. Use the same sound consistently throughout the training process.
Step 2: Pick a High-Value Treat
Chickens respond best to training when there’s a reward involved. Choose a treat they love, such as mealworms, cracked corn, chopped fruits, or grains.
Mealworms are particularly effective since chickens go crazy for them. Keep the treats in a container that makes noise when shaken—this sound can become a secondary recall cue over time.
Step 3: Start Training in a Controlled Area
Begin the training in a safe and enclosed space, like inside the coop or a small run. Stand a few feet away from your chickens, use your chosen call, and immediately offer a treat when they move toward you.
Repeat this process several times so they start associating the call with food. Keep sessions short, around five to ten minutes, to maintain their attention.
Step 4: Gradually Increase the Distance
Once your chickens reliably respond to the call in a small space, start increasing the distance. Move a few feet further away each time and call them again.
When they come, reward them with treats. Continue extending the distance until they can respond from across the yard. If any chicken hesitates, gently shake the treat container to get their attention.
Also Read: How to Reduce Stress In Your Flocks?
Step 5: Use Mealtime to Reinforce Training
One of the easiest ways to reinforce training is to use the call before feeding time. Before placing food in their feeder or scattering grains, call them first.
Over time, they will associate the sound with their meals and naturally come running when they hear it. Consistency is key—calling them at the same time each day strengthens the habit.
Step 6: Practice in a Free-Range Setting
If your chickens free-range, start practicing in a more open area. Call them when they are scattered around the yard and reward them when they return.
At first, they may be distracted by foraging, but patience and repetition will help them learn. If they are slow to respond, try walking away while calling them—chickens often follow movement.
Step 7: Reduce Treats Over Time
Once your chickens consistently come when called, start reducing the number of treats given. Occasionally reward them, but also use verbal praise or gentle petting if they enjoy it.
Eventually, they will come simply out of habit, knowing that responding to your call is part of their routine. Even after training is complete, continue to reward them from time to time to keep the behavior strong.
Step 8: Keep Practicing Regularly
Like any trained behavior, recall training requires regular reinforcement. Continue calling them daily, even when it’s not mealtime, to keep them responsive. Stick to the same sound and method, and be patient with those that take longer to learn.
If some chickens are slower to respond, focus on training the more food-motivated ones first—the rest will often follow their lead.
Also Read: Why Are My Chickens Laying Small Eggs?
Conclusion
Training your chickens to come when called is an easy and practical skill that enhances flock management. By using a distinct call, rewarding with treats, and practicing consistently, you can teach them to respond reliably.
Whether for safety, convenience, or bonding, recall training is a great way to make caring for your chickens more enjoyable. With patience and consistency, soon your flock will come running the moment they hear your call.
Khaja Moinuddin, a computer science graduate, finds joy in gardening and homesteading. Join him on this blog as he shares his experiences in homesteading, gardening, and composting