Q&A for How to Make a Chicken Harness

It depends where you live. I have chickens that I walk around my local park, but it is not a busy park. Do not take them to a park with a dog park, or lots of kids and craziness. It's also a good idea to stay away from busy roads and cities. Open, quiet spaces are best.

Yes, you can walk them as long as they're old enough to go outside or are at least 6 weeks old.

As nice as it would be to walk your chicken in the park, it's probably best not to. Your chicken will probably be fine with people, and as long as it stays on the lead and close to you it will probably be fine with wandering cats. But, dogs could pose a real threat to your chickens safety. Scenario One: The dog does not hurt or chase the chicken, but it barks. This will scare your chicken, and if your chicken gets too stressed, it may die. Scenario Two: The dog chases the chicken, but doesn't hurt it. Your chicken will be terrified, and will most likely die of stress. Scenario Three: The dog chases the chicken, and hurts it. Your chicken will most likely be killed, or will die from stress.

No. A coyote bite would easily go through the harness, and it's best not to leave your chicken with the harness on while it's unsupervised. To protect against coyotes, make sure your chickens are secured in a coyote-proof fence or coop. An important thing to remember is that chicken wire will not protect chickens from coyotes. Make sure any gaps in the fencing aren't big enough for any coyotes to stick their heads through. Use a strong and tall chain link fence or wire. Make sure the wire is always securely attached to the stake or frame. Add extra stakes to areas away from corners. Make sure your fence is at least 5ft tall, and goes at least 14" below the dirt.

You could but it would be safer not to. If something happened (perhaps the chicken got caught on something), you might not be there to do anything. Your chicken could get seriously hurt, or potentially killed. Best to wear the harness when you're around to supervise.

It doesn't matter too much, but it would probably be best to use canvas. Canvas is strong and durable, but it is still breathable and won't restrict your chicken's movement too much.

It would be great if you could. But, it would be best avoided. The chicken may get rather stressed and so might the manager of the mall. The hall would be a mess - chicken poo, dirt, feathers, etc. And, I highly doubt your chicken would enjoy it. Best not to go to the mall. If you and your chicken want to do some shopping together, why don't you have a look at some products online?

If your chickens are adults, it will take some patience. Spend a few hours with them on a regular basis. Sit and watch, but don’t try to pick them up. Let them get used to your presence. It would be helpful to talk to them, as they can associate voices with faces. After a while, they’ll start to choose to come to you, especially if you have treats (greens, scratch, dried mealworms, mash, mint, and oregano). Bribery and treats will get you everywhere!

If one day the park happens to be empty, go ahead! However, if you see even one dog, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Consider letting your chickens free-range in your yard (you can supervise them if needed) a few hours a day.

Try teaching your chicken to jump through a hula-hoop. Bribery and treats will convince her to cooperate.