Chickens and rags

[JetBlack]

As I work on the car a lot, I have rags lying around. There are some in the backyard and the chickens get hold of them and move them all over the yard. ??? I wondered if they pick them up and look under, for the worms that seem to hide under them?

There's a very old terry towel, and three regular mechanic's rags (not microfiber). Every day they are somewhere far distant from where they started.

Any ideas what's going on? I never catch them at it. Maybe they get caught in their claws and it freaks them out and they race around until it falls off?

 

[JetBlack]

Bump. Anyone?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

LoL.

I could just picture one running around all freaked out with a towel stuck to it's foot.

Mine never bother towels but my dogs do! Are the chickens the only animal that has access to them?

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
Pretty much. There's the insane neighbor cat (it's eyes are crazed and maniacal), but I never saw this before the chickens. In the morning, the rag might be 30 yards from where it is at the end of the day. I want to see what they are doing! My new video camera dies nto ahve the time lapse feature that the cheaper models have. Darn it!

When I pick up the rag, there are bugs under it, in the grass, but I think if a chicken used it's feet to move the rag, it would become entangled in the rag, briefly [hilarity ensues]. Maybe I can put some feed near a rag and see what happens. Or put some raisins (chicken-crack) on a rag....

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Are there strings hanging off the rags? I could see one grabbing at the string and running around with it while the others chase!

I would think for bugs they would just scratch at it possibly moving it but that wouldn't explain the 30 yards...

 

[PunkinPeep]

Yes, i think they think it's a treat and are chasing each other around for it. Then they realize it's not tasty and leave it lying somewhere. If you want to see them do it, throw a cherry tomato into the middle of them, and you'll see the same game of keep away.

 

[JetBlack]

Quote:
Not really strings. They are very old and gray and were last used for deck stain, I think. Very weathered and discolored. When the chickens are not so full of food, I'll tease them toward the rags and get a video to see what's going on. Right now food is not really interesting for them. Normally they have a feeding frenzy for cheese but there's still some in the grass so they are not hungry.

 

[JetBlack]

Again, the rags are all over the place. It looks like a rag car-accident occurred. Rag bodies everywhere. Looks like there were no survivors. Total massacre. Maybe the chickens like synthetic motor oil, like it's Splenda.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

You need to sit inside one day and watch from the window without them seeing you then record it! I'd love to see what's causing all this!

 

[magic maker]

"It's eyes are crazed and maniacal"