Emergency Recall For Your Flock (This Could Save Your Chickens)

Did you know your backyard chickens are highly trainable? One of the most practical and important behaviors I trained my flock to have has been an emergency recall.

What is an emergency recall?

An emergency recall is a way to call your flock back into their protected chicken area. This is most helpful for flocks that are free-ranging daily or flocks that live in partial confinement and free-range on occasion. Due to some form of emergency or threat to the safety of your chickens you may need to call them back into their protected chicken area during the day when they would otherwise be reluctant to return. Backyard chickens when given the chance to free-range will naturally begin to gravitate toward their safe chicken area, their coop, run, or housing during the dusk and evening hours as daylight fades. Trying to gather your flock by hand during the height of the day individually is futile, they can and will outrun you. Emergency recall training helps you get your flock back inside fast when needed. Emergencies can include but aren’t limited to things like predator threats, dangerous weather, and other events of a similar nature.

Note, if you are free-ranging your flock it is important to always check daily weather reports prior to releasing the flock as part of responsible flock management but unpredictable and sudden changes in weather do happen. There is no way to reliably predict when an unexpected threat may occur and endanger the safety of your flock. An emergency recall provides reassurance you will be able to gather your flock during the day when needed. Train this behavior now so you’ll be ready if it is needed.

Emergency recall training steps.

This is the way that I trained my flock to respond to an emergency recall. Above all, consistency and patience are the most essential elements of this training.

Select a distinctive livestock dish for your recall training.

This needs to be a designated dish that is only used as part of the training that is different from their regular food dishes and dispensers. This way your flock learns to associate the dish with the training and positive reinforcement. Only use this dish as part of the training and recall for the best results. For my flock, it is livestock dish that is larger than their daily food dishes.

Use a high value treat for your flock.

This part is highly customizable. What is essential is that it is a treat your whole flock enjoys and that is very desirable and special to them. For my flock, that’s meal worms or fly larvae. For yours that could be kitchen scraps, their favorite homemade treats, whatever your flock only receives as a special indulgence. Create your high value treat mixture in your designated dish, enough for the size of your flock.

Choose a recall sound.

Choose a recall sound you will make that you only use during recall training and actual recall events. This can be as simple as ‘here chick chick chick’ or something along those lines. For my flock, I make tidbitting sounds. Whatever sound you choose just make sure you can replicate it consistently and possibly in stressful situations. Simple and clear is best.

Begin your recall training with your flock.

When your flock is in full view, make your distinct recall sound and bring out your designated dish filled with your high value treat, making your recall sound. Walk with the dish into your protected chicken area. Once most or all of your flock is inside the protected chicken area, place the treat dish where they can access it and while they’re eating close the doors of the area.

Repetition and consistency are key.

To begin, repeat this training twice weekly for two weeks. Quickly your flock will begin to associate the designated dish with their favorite high value treat and they will follow you consistently. After two weeks, repeat this training once a week for 3 weeks. After that, at minimum once or twice a month to keep the habit consistent. The desired result is your entire flock following you into their protected area every time you bring out their designated recall dish filled with their favorite high value treat while your chosen call sound.

Individual chicken and flock results will vary.

Some flocks take to this habit almost instantly. Some flocks are resistant to training for a variety of reasons. Repetition, patience, and consistency are key. There are some individual chickens in your flock who for a variety of reasons including things like physical challenges or their demeanor will struggle to respond to the training. If may be necessary for example to hand gather elderly flock members with mobility issues. Some individual chickens may never respond to the training. Repetition, patience, and consistency offer the best chance of success. Ultimately, once you are able to consistently recall most of your flock every time you use the treat dish and special recall sound in combination, it is a success. Ultimately in a true dire emergency it is preferable to only lose a few members of your flock rather than the whole flock although no losses at all is the obvious preference. Depending on the frequency of threats your free-ranging flock experiences, you may wish to perform training on a more regular basis to sharpen their recall skills even further.

Things that could cause the recall training to fail.

This training will not be as effective or effective at all if: you try to cheapen out on the treat mixture and don’t remain consistent, if you use the dish for other purposes and dilute it’s significance, if your call sound is something you can’t repeat consistently, if you don’t have a positive report with your flock and you’re otherwise impatient or unkind to them, or if you have a particularly flighty and willful breed of chicken(s) in your flock. Again, for mixed flocks, being able to consistently recall the majority of your flock is successful training.

I have used my recall training with my flock to get them to safety on several occasions. I used this recall earlier this week to get my flock to safety in the middle of the afternoon which inspired me to share it with all of you.

I hope this will be another helpful tool to help keep your flock safe from predators and threats even in the middle of the day. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out Chuck’s other social media for more backyard chicken and homesteading content.

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