Why are my baby chickens so scared of the broom?!?!

[adambutt]

We have a chicken coop in our garden for our 8 weeks-ish old chickens and we let them out quite a lot, but they never want to get back in. Sometimes they even run behind the tiny gap between the coop and the fence, and theres no way to get them out. Normally I use a spade to get them out but we went to the beach so the spade was still in the car, so I used the broom. The chickens literally went mad... I finally got them back in the coop but when I was inside I noticed they were making a LOT of noise so I went out to check, and they were literally clawing at the chicken wire of the coop trying to escape, and I found I had left the broom behind the coop. They were trying to escape from the broom?! Is this normal?

 

[subhanalah]

Chickens are afraid of novel things, it's part of their survival strategy as chickens...that's why if someone is easily afraid, they are referred to as "chicken"

 

[adambutt]

But they literally died? Did they think it was a snake or something

 

[subhanalah]

But they literally died? Did they think it was a snake or something

they didn't say that...

 

[adambutt]

I know Im just saying what I think they thought what the broom was

 

[subhanalah]

I know Im just saying what I think they thought what the broom was

no, they didn't say that they died.

 

[MeepBeep]

Chickens are funny that way, I have my bantam chicks in an aquarium brooder in the living room right now, my daughters spend half the day plastered to that glass and the chicks have no issues... The other day my eldest daughter decided to show her 'baby doll' the chicks, you would have thought that a weasel was inside the tank, they flipped out at the sight of the doll, chirping frantically to no end as they all piled in the corner in fear, doll removed from sight and they returned to normal...

 

[adambutt]

sounds a lot like what happened to my chickens when I "showed" them the broom

I guess chickens are just that...

 

[subhanalah]

Oh, I didn't realize you were the OP, Adam.

They died? Are you sure it was the broom? Sounds like something is going on, how did you find them dead?

 

[JeanR]

Chickens are "prey" animals,so anything that is threatening makes them try to flee or hide. Young and old Chickens have instinctive fear of unknow threats (broom, hawk, fox, skunk?) sure it is trying to eat them! BE patient and develope their trust of YOU> Good luck.