do chickens ever get used to having their coup cleaned?

[ji]

I think Scooter may be on to something. I learned when my chickees were young that they would freak out if I moved too fast or made movements that looked like something swooping over them. They are hard wired to have fear for certain types of movements that look a certain way.
I have learned to move slow and deliberate around them and it is amazing what they will hang around for or not hang around for. When I built their new coop I had screaming saws and the slam of lumber and it didn't bother them a bit. I couldn't keep them out of the way. But wave a feed bag around a little and they would scream like Kernel Sanders himself was torturing them.
Another part of the thing I continue learn is to reverse the question. Not will they get used to blah blah, but will I get used to the fact that they are stupid. (I love my chickees but good lord they can be dumb)
Try keeping the rake or shovel or whatever you use right in their house with them all the time so if they have fear of that they will get over it.

 

[scooter147]

ji,
The rake and broom I use have been in the coop since the beginning of time. They don't freak out until I pick one up and start to use it. Then it's like a chinese fire drill trying to get out the pop door.
I will say when they are confined to the inside during bad weather and I stir the shavings with the rake they are far less excited/nervous if I move slowly.

 

[mjdtexan]

Mine have a large coop so I have not had to clean it out yet. I will probably clean it out this spring. I like the deep method. Every morning when I go to let them out into the run they are all by the pop door waiting to get out. They see me come into the coop every morning to get their feed dispensers so they know they are about to be let out. Their coop has two rooms seperated by chicken wire. The first room is for the brooder and their feed. The second room is their living quarters. I feed them outside is why they are ready to run out in the morning. It makes it easy for me to do the maintenance inside thieir area while they have rushed the feed dispensers.

Mike D

 

[dancingbear]

I have a pitch fork I pick up the icky bedding with to toss out to my wheel barrow. Sometimes a chicken will jump up and stand on top of the load on the fork while I'm trying to get it out the door.

Mine aren't even particularly friendly, they all hate to be picked up except DH's pet 'Lorp, Rita. They just aren't afraid of me. Except one young white w/ black markings (light Brahma mixed w/?) I call Flighty Whitey. (because it rhymes, no hidden agenda here) He (she?) screams and flies into a panic anytime I'm anywhere near, certain I'm about to rend him limb from limb and eat him, alive, on the spot.

The others are fine. Very nosy. I'm in KY, it's not a CA chicken thing. May be breed related. (Leghorns are said to be nervous and flighty, for example) I have mostly 'Lorp, Brahma, EE, and mixes of them, a little unknown mixed breed tossed in from a roo I used to have. I'm sure that's where the hysteria genes come from, I get rid of the screamers as they come along. So Flighty Whitey's days are numbered, unless somebody happens along who wants to buy that one.