Could an ugly, loud shirt scare my rooster?

[One Lucky Momma]

I talk to mine as I approach, I figure that gets them over any changes to my clothes or whatnot. Though they all ran like hell when I carried in a windsock I was installing, and the wind sent it flapping...

I think the voice registers you immediately, esp if you have some foolish sounding tenderly endearing chicky call you’ve been using since day one, and are most likely carrying food.

Though seriously, it stands to reason the birds would react to something large and unfamiliar as part of their defense mechanism. Squawk, run for cover, then figure it out later.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think the voice registers you immediately, esp if you have some foolish sounding tenderly endearing chicky call you’ve been using since day one, and are most likely carrying food.

Though seriously, it stands to reason the birds would react to something large and unfamiliar as part of their defense mechanism. Squawk, run for cover, then figure it out later.

I try to keep my voice and words consistent. "Hello girls" whenever I approach the run, "Chook chook chook" when it's time to go home from free range time, etc.

I mean I suppose I could wear the same thing into the run all the time, but it's not very practical. I go in in whatever I'm wearing. Hats are fine, different coats or boots, and back when I was treating for mites it was hubby's oversized clothes and a shower cap on my head...

They are surprisingly tolerant of a lot of things - I can carry in a ladder and use a drill and barely get any reaction, I can throw food at their faces and they stand there with their mouths open, but anything that moves (a plastic bag, the aforementioned windsock) and they'll scatter like roaches with the light turning on.

 

[aart]

I mean I suppose I could wear the same thing into the run all the time, but it's not very practical.

Exactly!

 

[chrissynemetz]

The only article of clothing I've ever noticed my flock being afraid of was a pair of hot pink mud boots. Freaked them out every time I wore them. The chickens hated them.
I thought they were cute

 

[CatsandCrops]

Now that I read this thread, things make a little more sense. I always wear the same boots into the run and in the mornings when I let them out 1st thing my outfit is pretty standard (sweat pants or shorts and a tshirt or hoodie). The other morning it was only 40 degrees out so I threw on a pink/purple plaid jacket and they FREAKED out. I thought there was something in the woods that they could sense and I couldn't see (we have a ton of predators in our area) but now I wonder if it was my coat

 

[Peaches Lee]

Chickens are very fashion forward birds...you won't see them approving of anything from last season...and girl, you better get yourself the September issue from Vogue if you want your flock to accept your latest ensemble and not go running off because they've just witnessed a fashion nightmare!...

All joking aside, I had a rooster that absolutely hated a pair of black and pink sneakers I had. He would bite my feet in anger. They are very visual animals with an excellent eye for details...perhaps we will never know the inner machinations of the Chicken Brain!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Anything flappy makes sense, that would be scary to them... registers in their brains as big scary wings like raptors' wings, whether it's a raincoat, bathrobe or just flappy legs on your bell-bottoms. But plaid? I'll have to think on thst onr.