While scrolling though facebook I noticed plenty of images showing chickens on a leash. Whilst I initially did a double take, I realized there was serious interest in chicken leashes and harnesses. So being the curious type I did some research and found that there were legitimate reasons why people would do this. So in this article I’ll explore some of the benefits and reasons why chickens are put on leashes. We also look at some ways to actually teach and accustom your chicken to wear a leash or a harness.

Why do people want to leash a chicken?

The word leash for most people brings to mind taking your for dog for a walk. This is why we put leashes on dogs, we take them for walks and allows us to keep that dog under control. The same applies chicken leashes, many are actually buying chickens simply to keep them as pets. So it’s only natural to use leash to stop the wandering all over the place. It seems it’s becoming a trend of late. As it turns out chickens are very intelligent and many people like to have them as pets. So it would make sense that having a chicken as a pet would require taking your pet for a walk. Having a leash would be a great idea as chickens do tend to wander here and there.

While talking to a friend who I buy my eggs from he actually leashes chickens to feed them in areas where he doesn’t want them to stay too long. For example when he feeds them in the neighbors property. Keeping them on a leash allows you to control the length of feeding times, although in some cases a pen would do a better job. But hey it’s fun leading a chicken on a leash.

What are the benefits of leashing chickens

Most obvious reasons are to keep them walking where you want them to walk. I can’t see how you could train a chicken to heal and follow you for long walks. Anything’s possible I suppose and I’m sure I would be proven wrong one day. You may also keep chickens on a harness if you have a chicken that’s causing you problems and want to keep them away from certain areas or other chickens. Either way this is becoming a popular pastime and there are some really good looking harnesses going around.

Can you train a chicken to walk on a leash

The simple answer is a most definitely yes. As mentioned earlier they are very intelligent and curious animals. I’ve seen enough evidence to suggest that they could very easily be trained. You can clearly see from the video below that it can be done and can be done fairly easily.

How to put on a chicken leash

Here’s a a video that shows you how to put a chicken on a leash and some tips to train your chicken to accept a leash or harness.

This lady has been training chickens for years and makes it look easy.

Credit goes to ‘Uncle Goat’ who has provided the video below.

How to train your chicken to walk on a leash

The trick to training your chicken is starting them young. As this applies to other pets, chickens are no different. If your not accustomed to handling chickens care must be taken especially if there very young. The harnesses and leashes are especially designed for chickens due to their unique shape. They are adjustable for various size chickens and do come in a variety of styles and colors. Click the image below to see what Amazon has to offer.

Final Thoughts

Having chickens on a leash may not be as strange as it might seem at first glance. There are some legitimate reasons such as feeding chickens in particular areas. The other being some chicken require to be tethered due to their troublesome behavior. What I found most curious is that having chickens as pets is becoming very popular around the world. This being the case keeping them penned in is not very healthy for them so taking them for walks makes a lot of sense. If you do decide to buy a chicken for a pet then buying a leash or harness becomes the next logical step.

If you have bought a chicken as a pet and do take them for a walk we would love to hear your experience. Drop a comment below.

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