# callin em in.



## cornsnaggler (Oct 5, 2014)

Couple of questions that I'd welcome answers to.....When you call your birds in,.. you do what?...Here chicky, here chicky? or "come on guys"?...Never had to call a chicken before......I was thinking about predator control and maybe a watch dog for chickens? What breed , blue heeler, australia shepherd, how about a billy goat?.....I'm just getting started with chickens, although I was a farm boy , so I need advice...I thought about putting my coop in the fenced goat yard, and letting them free range during the daytime......Thanks for any advice.


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## Rhandi (Mar 7, 2014)

I have Great Pyrenees and goats that free range with my chickens, the goats are not good predator deterants. I call my chickens by name but typically opening the door to their run works best when it is time to be put up. They know that their is food in there and they all run in, just as fast as they run out in the mornings.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

I go "CHOOK CHOOK CHOOK CHOOK CHOOK" and they come running. If some straggle I pick up a bucket and bang the side while "chooking" and that really sets them into high gear. I can call the ducks away from the chickens but saying "duck duck duck", but CHOOK CHOOK is universal for all birds.

My horse paddock surrounds my coop on 3 sides and the horses are a great guard system for the bigger preds. My dogs will not guard the chickens (one will kill them if given a chance) but having them around offsets anything that comes from the front. As for the hawks and vermin, it's up to me to provide adequate protection from them.


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## cornsnaggler (Oct 5, 2014)

Thanks a lot. I've been reading some postings from the UK and it sounds like fox are a major problem over there, much worse than here, fox and b adger being their top predators.....I'm just going to make sure the coop is solid and be aware during free range time.......Thanks again.


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

Mine are food motivated and don't have names. I just toss food where I want them to go. I plan to use them as soup chickens in a couple years and don't want get attached.

For predator control, I have a female border collie named Oreo who is good with chickens. She watches them and deters hawks pretty well when they free range. However I have a chicken run system for predator control as well when they don't free range. 

Oreo also herds the chickens gently (only with the eye) when I need to put them up and it's still light out. We use a series of whistles. Be careful with dogs though, I have male border collie named Jedi that likes to catch and chase chickens (I've recalled him before I could find out if he kill them). His herding is immature and rough around the edges.

If you are building a day time run/chicken coop, do not use chicken wire (most predators rip it like butter, other names include hexagon cloth, poultry wire etc). Use cage wire (cheaper alternative but effective on most predators) or hardware cloth (gold standard but expensive). Also if you can, bury a 6-12 in. wall of hardware cloth to protect against diggers (dog, fox, etc). If you have a tight budget, I'd use hardware cloth for the coop and cage wire for the run. It makes life easier


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Pick a phrase and keep with it. Using treats when you use that phrase helps them learn to come when you call. Mine are named and will come when I call them by name too. For my younger girls, right now they've learned to associate "bedtime for chickies" means its time to head into the coop for the night. The older girls answer to "yummy" knowing it means they're going to get snacks; "where's momma's chickens" means I'm looking for them and want them to come to me. They will learn just like dogs do. As for dogs to help keep predators away, my big dog just simply took on that role of protector. She's a sweet girl. Lab/German mix I rescued years ago. She loves the chickens.


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## cornsnaggler (Oct 5, 2014)

Makes sense. I'll be a callin away and give it a try....Thanks for all the ideas. The fencing must be the welded with smaller squares?


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Hardware cloth has squares from 1/4" to 1". Cage wire (if it's the same as here) is 2x2, 2x3 or 2x4" squares. Both are welded, though the larger cage wire I have seen wrapped, but very, very rarely.


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

Also hardware cloth is a small gauge wire (16-20ish) depending on square size, but due to its nature, very strong. Cage wire (we call it fox wire or sheep fencing depending on square size) is much thicker. 
Mind, remember the bigger the hole, the more it lets in. A 1" hole is perfect for a weasel or snake. And a raccoon can reach through a hole and grab a hen.


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

Yea, I have 1/2 hardware cloth (19 ga I think) on my coop. Many things have tried to enter but none have succeeded (knock on wood).

We have snakes we have to worry about here.

This is the cage wire I am most familiar with Cage wire. However I would not use it on the coop because of all the night predators/pest. It is 1x2 in 16 ga welded wire.


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## bobrut (Sep 9, 2014)

All I need to do is rattle the fed can, they come running for that every time!!


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

bobrut said:


> All I need to do is rattle the fed can, they come running for that every time!!


Mine respond to this.


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## babychic (Jul 27, 2014)

goats are great to have adjacent to your chickens. we have horses, goats llamas and our chickens are in a very large area in the middle and adjacent of all of them. i wouldn't put your chickens in a pen with your goats they may butt them to move them out of the way and that could cause problems for your girls. if they are out grazing and everyone has space, thats a different story and would probably be fine, unless your goats are especially aggressive. all of our animals get along very well together. but that is something i encourage. i taught our horses to be careful around everyone smaller than they are and so they are. 

we have snakes but none out there they stay away from all the activity. we have coyote families but they have always respected us and have even ran right past our goats chasing rabbits and never looked at them twice. we have several dogs also and they are good with our chickens. all of our animals graze and get along fine but everyone has their own large pen to call home at night.

i think when you live in harmony with nature and can claim your area and the other animals know this and can then respect this you don't have as many problems. and of course, life hands you what you expect. if you expect to have issues with predators, then you will. but if you can decide and allow everyone to get along and you can respect them as you expect them to respect you, then you will have peace and safety for everyone. i think wild animals make much better neighbors than humans. they are much more reasonable, considerate and intelligent.

i dont believe in getting a dog just to guard they should be a loved part of the family and then they will take good care of their family. you dont have to teach them or force them to do this they already know. i also recommend getting a dog from a shelter or rescue if you are going to get one. i also think alot of dogs are happier with a friend especially if they are left alone alot. after having many dogs, i would never go back to having just one. its really not much harder to have more than one.

we talk to our chickens and everyone else and spend alot of time outside with them and our chickens are always happy to see us and to see what we brought them and to tell us about their pretty eggs they laid. once your chickens know you and like you it shouldn't be a problem to put them up, ours go up when it gets dark on their own. as long as they feel safe in their house they should put themselves up. they are much smarter than most people give them credit for.


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## cornsnaggler (Oct 5, 2014)

I agree wholeheartedly.....Regarding predator control, I saw a post with a photo that showed a donkey kill a coyote....The owner indicated that this donkey is just plain mean and attacks any predator that comes around his property. Don't know if this is typical of donkeys tho.


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## hellofromtexas (Feb 16, 2014)

Yes, Donkeys hate coyotes and other dog like creatures. They will chase them off first and then kill if necessary. For a small flock of chickens, they are a little expensive compared to other solutions. However, they are popular for sheep protection and other task.

This is a very typical donkey trait and you can find multiple videos of it. I don't recommend killing coyotes unless necessary. What science has found is the lack of competition and abundant food increases their breeding. Average litter size becomes 8 instead of 4-6. It's like a hydra. It's better to bury hardware cloth under the coop and deter them. A donkey is very good coyote protection though. There are other similar more profitable animals though, like llamas. Llamas beat wolves and coyotes too. They produce wool. Note: Most Guardian animals semi have to bond with the protected.




It would be a good idea for large flocks. But for small flocks, the vet bills and care cost of the guard animal sometimes out weighs the profit of the flock.


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## deniseclaffey (Oct 21, 2014)

Bang a. Tin with a spoon. While calling chick,chick,chuck.chuck til they come and give them their meal.


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