Hi
wondering if anyone works with animals in their act I have a really tame chicken...well its true! I was thinking about using her in my act such as popping a balloon at a peticular time,playin the piano,jumping through a hoop leading in a round of the chicken dance...what do y'all think?

A blammo box will be good to use for a chicken. It is a box that makes an item/animal appear. Another idea is to have your chicken find a selected card.

Humor lines will be good to add to your act about your chicken.

I don't personaly use any live animals. (I use a fake lil' bunny that looks real and I can manipulate him with my hand to look "alive") I have met a few folks that do use live animals (Doves, rabbits).
Your chicken sounds COOL!!
However there are a few things to concider,
1.) Transportation. Should be easy to transport and safe/comfortable for the animal.
(Remember, some gigs are outside where it is very HOT.)
2.) Kids WILL want to pet the animal. (Just a fact, kids, and prob adults will want to touch)So you have to be aware of this and come up with a way to tell the children how to be gentile and nice with the animal (if you even want them to touch at all).
Now, like I said I don not use live animals, so this is just my 2 cents worth....if it's even worth that much! lol But I am a BIG animal lover, so I am just speaking from that perspective.
All you folks that do use birds, rabbits, and chickens, please speak up!! I am sure I am missing a lot.
Hope this helps a little.

Cinn~

Texas:

If you have a chicken that jumps through hoops, I want you at MY birthday party. That's hilarious. Chicken tricks would be the best and very original.

One thing you may want to consider is whether or not your insurance company will cover you if you use a chicken. I just renewed my policy, and I know that the only animals it will cover in shows are dogs, doves, and rabbits.

Oh, I forgot to mention I use live animals in my magic shows, not clown gigs. I use a rabbit, dove and chinchilla.

I don't think I have seen anyone use a chicken in their act. That would be something unique that would set you apart from the rest. You will have to decide how to work it into your show and think that Cinnamon the Clown's comments are very important to consider.

Years ago, I used a rabbit in my show for a short while. One thing to consider in using a live animal is that you need an assistant to help with the animal. You don't want to keep the animal in a prop after it does its trick, and, unless the trick showcasing the animal is one of the first that you are going to perform, you don't want it loaded in a prop for very long.

I think that live animals add a great deal to a magic show, and I may use a rabbit again (my current bunny is too fat and emotionally fragile to be a magic bunny), but I did find it to be somewhat of a hassle.

You don't want to keep the animal in a prop after it does its trick
I agree. I always keep mine out to be displayed throughout my shows. My birds are trained to stay on their perch outside, (28 seconds of video). I also used to include a ferret and cat in my magic acts, (26 seconds of video). You will see how my pets are out for display during my show on the video clippings: YouTube - Dynamike, Detroit Michigan Magician Magic Promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHEz2bqrp9Q)

I don't recall where I saw it (online, perhaps), but someone was doing a trained parakeet act. I thought that concept was brilliant!

My mom and I actually use a hamster and a rabbit for the finale in our large shows. She being the clown who is not so great at magic comes out and says she's goint to produce a rabbit out of a pan that she has (a dove or cupcake pan) The kids usually say that's not big enough for a bunny and such and when the trick is over, she has a hamster instead of a rabbit. The kids think it's hillarious and still love the fact that a cute and furry thing came out in the end. Then I'll come out and show how she did it wrong because she didn't have a big enough box etc... and I'll produce the rabbit. But at the end of the show we only let the kids pet the rabbit as the insurance doesn't cover hamsters (and because the hamster is a known escape artist himself).

I wanna use one of Zippy's animals for an act, but she's afraid I'd catch it on fire! Imagine! Me!

I'm not THAT absent-minded am...

The rabbit has always been the star of our shows . . . well, were probably on our 12th rabbit or so in 33 years . . . RIP flopsy, mr wiggles, rose-bud . . . (can't remember any more . . . well, to be honest, there have been about 8 rose-buds, 2 flopsy's, and a mr wiggles . . . )

Cinnamon and pickles said what i would say.. Thanks ladies for taking the words right out of my mouth.. But now there is room for some fried chicken... Pass me a drumstick please.....
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i love the idea fo the chicken also...
Hopefully you wont lay an egg with it or the yolks on you...
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ok that was a reach...but i had to be me...

I didn't say you'd catch them on fire, Granny! Leave it to you to forget that! I said you'd forget them at the show!

Where did you even get that I said you'd catch them on fire!!!

Oh, it must have been LuLu I was gonna catch on fire! I forget these things...

Texas:

If you have a chicken that jumps through hoops, I want you at MY birthday party. That's hilarious. Chicken tricks would be the best and very original.

A chicken jumping through a KFC Bucket...Now that's what I call a show!

Hi
wondering if anyone works with animals in their act I have a really tame chicken...well its true! I was thinking about using her in my act such as popping a balloon at a peticular time,playin the piano,jumping through a hoop leading in a round of the chicken dance...what do y'all think?

What king is she? I have, buff orpington, Transylvania Necked Necks(Oh yes there is such a thing) Reds and barred rock. I have a little black hen named Hazel who knows her name and sits in my lap. I try not to wear my good pants.. By the way W C Fields said never work with children or animals. I guess I got it half right.

A chicken jumping through a KFC Bucket...Now that's what I call a show!
That is a good idea, John.

sorry lost track of this post til yesterday. Thanks all for the great ideas and advice everyone! still not sure if I will use her in the act or not guess it depends on where the show is and how long it will last (Willy: she was suppose to be a production red but nope dont know what she is really we had 8 of them and for some odd reason nota one would lay an egg she still hasnt.) Punk: love the hamster idea except for the hamster part they always bite me :( I own and love rats but thinkin peeps may be frightened maybe as a hallowwen show? hmm jump through a kfc bucket that might work:0 Gonna go watch Dynamos videos and call it a night thanks again all!

oops just saw that I fogot the y in your name on my last post punkY sorry I didnt mean to call ya a punk ;) Dynamo great video thanks the kiddos and I enjoyed it! thought I had replyed on here once but didnt see it oh well Name the date Pickles :) just remember Im new to clowning so try not to expect too much

I don't use animals for my acts, just included more prizes and beautiful stuff toys to be directly given to the celebrant or his/her close friends :)

i have a rat...

i have a rat...

Is it a magic rat?

i have a rat...

Oh Kool! Did you train it with a clicker?
I've always wanted a trained rat!
Sara K.

I've had psyc rats, but the best trick they could do was run through a maze. I've always thought it would be cool to use a nontraditional animal in magic shows--a rat, hamster, or hedgehog.

That's cute. I like it.

i used to have doves, rabbits, ducks, mice, a poodle, a cat, guinea pigs, parakeets, finches, goldfishes crows, and yes chickens, in my magic show (not all in one show though) when i lived in the philippines.

although i have a pet monkey too i never used him in my show. i have a friend who did. one time his monkey freaked out and jumped on one of the dinner guests head and took her hat. ha ha ha!!!

the rat is so funny since i am a hobo, and he is so smart, probably smarter than most politicians... and besides owning a skunk or a raccoon is not legal in my state. theres a lot of places i cant take him with me though...

She loves the monkey's uncle, uh huh. She loves the monkey's uncle, oh yeah. She loves the monkey's uncle - and she wants to be the monkey's aunt.

and besides owning a skunk or a raccoon is not legal in my state.

Well, in Wisconsin, it IS legal to own a skunk -- if you can prove that you have a vet that knows how to care for a skunk's special medical needs. I know this because I have looked into skunk ownership. It is my DREAM to own a skunk.

One thing to consider about having non-traditional animals in your magic show is that it's difficult to find entertainers insurance that covers it. My policy will cover dogs, birds, and rabbits. But that's it.

Does LuLu count? Or Zippy?

Thinking of using several white rabbits in my next gig. And maybe Granny, if she promises to behave herself!

Who am I kidding? Granny will never behave!

I'll have to bring LuLu, instead!

i use a rabbit, but mostly for instructional/informational purposes. im still sorking him into an act.