or their handlers. Saturday was our first attempt at herding chickens. Back to the drawing board I guess.

What a fiasco. We figured since they were used to us giving them their treats in a big pink plastic bowl they'd just kind follow us on the way to the temporary fenced in area---wrong. They stampeded us like normal but as soon as they got outside they started scattering. Chris and I each had long sticks in each hand thinking it would help to "guide" them to the enclosure---wrong again. It became either a high jump contest or a limbo exercise.

After several attempts to herd them this way we resorted to the landing net---one or two at a time. By days end the wind had often moved the bottom of the plastic fencing enuf for several of them to get out. Actually they seemed quite content to forage around but now it was time to put them back. We opened the front of the enclosure and attempted to herd them back, thinking maybe now they'd like to go back home---wrong again. Most of them scattered into the brush, some into the open. Back to the landing net, one or two at a time. About an hour later we had them back into the coop but what an exhausting hour. I couldn't stop laughing and still laugh when I think about it.

Today, I just opened the coop door and let them wander around and in and out as they chose. I just went up to lock them up for the evening. I just sat there, on a folding chair and a couple of them came by to say hi, then calmly went into the coop and the rest followed, very calmly, no muss no fuss. WHEW!

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2001

Answers

Maybe you were just overplanning, John. Keep us posted on whether the laissez faire method continues to work! Julie and I used to herd the ducks out of their pen to graze in the grass (everything in the pen was flattened by their feet and rooted out with their bills). If we didn't get too close and remained very calm, it went pretty well. If we moved too quickly or got too close, they'd start getting upset and going every which way. Of course, the first few times out at the beginning of the season were always wilder than after we all got the hang of it again.

Then there was the time, Donald, one of our two mallard drakes (who was inadequately clipped and pretty new to the harem) took off. He ended up in the lake about 1/2 mile away, where we had a resort. Why he went to OUR stretch of the shore, I have no idea. The duck belonged to my brother, so he and I and Dad went to the lake, got in a row boat, and went after him. The duck was accustomed to humans, if not exactly tame, but still, what a lamebrain idea. We just didn't have any other options.

Dad rowed all about, with brother and I making grabs for the duck (we were pretty good, especially brother, at catching ducks), but this one was determined to not be caught. However, he stayed in the shore area. I think all that open water flummoxed him. We spent over an hour, almost two I think, trying to catch Donald. Nothing worked. Finally, it was getting on towards dark, and we decided we would have to give up. We began to head for shore, and Donald swam over to the boat, and just floated next to it. One of us grabbed him, he struggled a little, but not much, and FINALLY we got to go home. His wings were properly clipped before returning him to the pen, as you might guess!

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2001

So,how low can you go? Limbo or high jump,eh? Well,you got your aerobic workout anyway.You're gonna run all the meat off them poor chickens :o)

Been too long since I herded chickens,but I never had much trouble that I remember.Mine were always really tame,tho, as I fussed with them a lot when they were peeps.I took care of the poultry growing up,and I had pet chickens that would come in the house.Mom was pretty tolerant of my ways.

A good dog helps, and move them slow.They always seemed to know what I wanted,except for the occassional renegade.You must be spoiling those chickens! Not hungry enough to go straight to the food.

Of course the first time they go anywhere,they are spooky til they get used to it.Is the door pretty small? Continue putting their food in there and they should start to go in where you want them.Creatures of habit.And,yeah,letting them go to the coop at night on their own is the way to go.It's their home and they know when they're ready to head in for a good night's sleep.

Will have to check with my poultry expert-Mom.She's got the start of alzheimers and STILL remembers more than I do abt.livestock.'course when you have raised stuff for 50 years,you tend to remember a thing or two,I guess.I've not had chickens for abt 15 years now.Moved around too much.But am planning on getting some peeps as soon as the workshop is done. Kinda looking forward to it.

Enjoy!

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2001

John, based on my experience with chickens, the best way to get them someplace is to rototill it, add lots of compost, and plant some very fragile seedlings. Works every time!

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2001

now john, you were suppose to video the chicken rodeo!!!! I told you that I wanted to see it. It does amaze me that anyone can get chickens to herd, sure never happened for me, unless of course I were to use David's advice. Thanks for the chuckle.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2001

John, Ah John, thanks for sharing, I've been awondering how that chicken herding was going for you,it's great that you have such a wonderfull sence of humor. Ah Man! You didn't get somebody to vidio tape ya!

Davids right on about how they will go right for the fresh patch. I have so much fun watching the chickens. If someone had told me when I was 16 that I would be watching chickens for entertainment in my later life I would never have believed them.

We espeailly love watching the mamas with their chicks. Mama goes around showing them how to scratch and take dirt baths, I really like it that she teaches them to run to me when I am out, it's pretty funny sometimes, there I go around the yard with a flock of yellow chicks following me, We give the mamas and chicks free range since the little ones can't cause as much damage and it's a joy to see them enjoying the good life.

The rest of the flock stays in their yard, running to greet me when I bring them buckets of table scraps or buckets of weeds from my weeding,they love earth worms and Japenese beetle larvie, so if I come across any I throw em at em. I let the flock out about one or two hours before dusk, they are soooo excited to get out, I post myself in the back yard, to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't scratch up anything important. It is so interesting to watch what they eat, and that way I know what to throw over at them to give em a treat during the day. They love Dandelions and seem to prefer them at the bud stage. I have been totally amazed at the poisionus plants and berries that they eat, and don't kill over. Once last fall I watched them gobble down ripe Bellondonna berrys! This spring they have been nibbling on Rhubarb leaves!

Had a fight out at the chicken tractor(turned into maternity ward) yesterday.I let the broody hens out for their afternoon stretch, Broodys are so funny , all puffed up and sassy, Well Mama hen came along and started a fight with one of them, Those two hens locked jaws and were hopping up and down,they were really duken it out.I had to hollor for one of the girls to come help me seperate them. From now on I will get mama and the chicks into the tractor before I let the broodys out! Now herding Mama and the chicks is pretty easy, cause all ya have to do is lead Mama and her chicks all follow.

Japanese Beetles are a pretty big problem around here which makes it great that the chickens will eat them . When I would go out to pick Rasberrys last June, the chickens would follow me and I would throw down the ,still sleepy in the morning, beetles which the chickens would gobble up. Fun! One weekend my friend, home sat for us while we went away. She was out picking the berries and the chickens scared her to death, guess they got pretty mad at her when she wouldn't throw down any beetles at them, they were carrying on and pecking at her feet. Oops! thats one chore that I forgot to explain to her! when I let them out in the evenings this spring I try to lead some to the rasberry patch, I love to see them scratching up and eating Japanese Beetle Grubs!

The first year that we had young chicks it was about time for them to start laying when one of them started walking upright, like a penquin, it would get up in the corner of the barn and look misserable, looked really funny when it walked around. Well, the girls think that all the chickens are pets, we went to the librairy and got books about chicken problems, man there sure are alot of dieseses that they can get and all kind of stuff, overwelming! I called my vet and asked her advice, well she pretty much said that unless it was a pet(Well) it would cost too much to do anything, she said that it sounded like it had a stuck egg. Thats pretty much what we got from the books too, usually you just get rid of any chickens that have anything wrong with em. The only thing that sounded close to what this one was going through was the stuck egg, and since it was a young one we figured that was what it was. So then I read that you are soppose to put vaseline up its , you know what. And I didn't realize untill then that in a chicken , everything comes out the same hole! well for the girls, I did it, Lea held this chicken while I did the job, Man! Then you were , according to the book soppose to massage the egg down ,rubbing the chickens belly. O.K. so we did that , and the poor thing seemed better for awhile and started walking right again, THEn, one day I go out to the chickens and I am watching our doctored up, egg stuck one, and Low and behold, the little thing starts to crow, OH MY GOD! wE HAD been trying to push and egg out of a ROOSTER!!!

Ah Yes, life with chickens it will keep you entertained! Tren

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2001

Sharon: I think it was during your hiatus from CS that I posted about chicken herding. The idea was to "herd" them about 250' from their coop and enclose them on one garden bed at a time to fertilize, weed, debug etc. Now on to plan B. I'm gonna open their door, let (encourage) them to walk up an enclosed ramp to the back of my VW pick-up with topper. Then I'm gonna haul them to the enclosed garden bed and turn em loose. My question would be, in that case, will they return to the coop on their own at dusk? I wonder that because they were hauled to the garden in the truck so maybe they wouldn't be able to find the way home? What do you think?

Yeah Tren, I know what you mean about the entertainment value. We're finding that just about every Sunday we go up to the greenhouse and hang out with the chickens and laugh about it.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2001

Livestock is amusing,well,sometimes!The horse was in the yard today.Nick didn't latch the gate and that horse will open it,any chance he gets.He's like a extra large yeller dog.

Fortunately he walked right by my 18 trays of transplants that I have hardening off, and headed for the back yard for some grass munching. What would have been your reaction if the horse, or whatever, had eaten your transplants that you've been lovingly nurturing for months? Luckly,he didn't,so Nick is not in the doghouse.

Why don't you try a corn trail to the day shelter? They should follow it.

Your flock should find there way back, too, since they already have. Although they may try to roost in the greenhouse if they can,if you are late getting to them.

Favorite food motivates,so you can do a trail back in the evening if there is a problem. Now a good dog is what you really need.

Diane-Nick should tell his chicken herding dog story.Never even had to teach her.She just watched him one time,figured it out and pitched it from that point on.That's a good dog!

I was recommended the Farmer's Dog for learning abt. training my mostly border girl to herd,and the thing that was recommended was to start dogs on chickens and ducks. So that's what I'm going to do! She already likes to run after'Big Birds'- turkeys,hawks,vultures, including planes and helicopters, but that was my fault. I told her they were big birds,too.Like with kids,watch what you say around a smart dog!

Keep us posted on developements,John.Next time I talk to my mother, I'll get the real expert's advice!

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2001

Oh, I forgot,when you do feed them,do you shake the container to make noise and call for them? You know. Here chick chick! This always got my chicks running to me. Teaches them to come to where you are.

I guess by now you know whether they voluntarily returned to the coop or not!

And Trendle-does that poor raped rooster run from you now! Funny.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2001

Oh, you have me in hysterics!!! I can see myself going through that very same thing in the next year or two, lol!!!

Hope the chair-sitting continues to be a success for you!!

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2001