Drastic change in chicken behavior should i be worried?

[winteree]

Well to make a long story short my two 12 week bantam chicks went from eating out of my hand and letting me pet them while they eat to running for the hen house and come short of hurting themselves getting away from me every-time i walk into the coop OVERNIGHT what happened? Should i be worried about such a drastic behavior change? Before with my grandma's chickens when i won them other and they where convinced i wasn't the devil incarnate it lasted until they flipping died. It's like i haven't worked the bantams at all it's almost like the first day i got them home it really sucks what could have happened and how do i change it? if it makes any difference hellion my "rooster" just started clucking full time.

 

[azygous]

How many times has this occurred since the first time they ran from you? I'm guessing that you may have been carrying something large and unfamiliar when you went into the pen. Or it's possible you were wearing something unfamiliar, possibly a very bright, loud print shirt? Try to remember what was different about that day.

Chickens will run scared from even a well-known person if they are wearing something that triggers fear in them. Even different shoes, or wearing rubber boots when you've never worn them in the pen before.

Whatever it was that scared them, it wasn't you. They should even be getting back to normal by now.

 

[winteree]

How many times has this occurred since the first time they ran from you? I'm guessing that you may have been carrying something large and unfamiliar when you went into the pen. Or it's possible you were wearing something unfamiliar, possibly a very bright, loud print shirt? Try to remember what was different about that day.

Chickens will run scared from even a well-known person if they are wearing something that triggers fear in them. Even different shoes, or wearing rubber boots when you've never worn them in the pen before.

Whatever it was that scared them, it wasn't you. They should even be getting back to normal by now.

no i was in my black PJ's the whole day (i did start hanging the feeder today through) i go in the coop about 3-8 times a day to work on stuff check and change feeders\waterier and to give them treats. every morning noon and evening it's so weird i wear bright Hawaiian shirts or pj's everyday but I'm a college student so the chickens have seen my whole wardrobe at least twice so today was just a loss to me I'm so confused.

 

[winteree]

How many times has this occurred since the first time they ran from you? I'm guessing that you may have been carrying something large and unfamiliar when you went into the pen. Or it's possible you were wearing something unfamiliar, possibly a very bright, loud print shirt? Try to remember what was different about that day.

Chickens will run scared from even a well-known person if they are wearing something that triggers fear in them. Even different shoes, or wearing rubber boots when you've never worn them in the pen before.

Whatever it was that scared them, it wasn't you. They should even be getting back to normal by now.

I have had to have gone in and out of the coop today at least 15-20 times I'm getting ready to expand the run for my chickens so i have been putting new wire up but the stapler has never bugged them before. it first started this morning i put out their feed and water (because i put both in the hen house with them at night) and hellion didn't come out of the coop right afterward. which was weird normally he is out of the coop as soon as i out the ramp down but he didn't come out this morning. I thought it was because i was a little late i normally let them out at 8-9am but i overslept and let them out around 11sh. so i left and a hour later they where out of their house but when i came to give them some treats they made a b-line to the hen house before i even got in the coop door

.

 

[azygous]

Chickens quickly adapt to loud noises, so the stapler shouldn't be a problem. Maybe the increased activity getting ready to expand the run has got them out of sorts. Chickens adapt very quickly to disruptions, though. If they haven't begun to act normally again soon, you need to look for another reason why this behavior continues.

Something may be trying to get into the run, a wild animal lurking where the chickens can see it, but you wouldn't. This happened a few years ago to me, and it was a bobcat lurking. I never saw it until it attacked the run, getting the gate open, and killing my favorite hen.

 

[winteree]

Chickens quickly adapt to loud noises, so the stapler shouldn't be a problem. Maybe the increased activity getting ready to expand the run has got them out of sorts. Chickens adapt very quickly to disruptions, though. If they haven't begun to act normally again soon, you need to look for another reason why this behavior continues.

Something may be trying to get into the run, a wild animal lurking where the chickens can see it, but you wouldn't. This happened a few years ago to me, and it was a bobcat lurking. I never saw it until it attacked the run, getting the gate open, and killing my favorite hen.

they are acting the same today but hellion did something weird this morning. He and Watson my hen went out of the hen house and hellion (which for a second i thought they where back to normal) stopped halfway on the ramp and shooed Watson back into the hen house thing is i didn't see or hear anything.

it makes me wonder my ratting dog Pepe did kill a mouse a week ago where there is mice their are birds of prey the coop is completely in-closed but I'm going to stay outside as much as i can today to see if i can tell whats scareing them because if we do have something bigger then a mouse i need to know sooner rather then later.

 

[azygous]

The behavior you described does match the way chickens respond to a threat. What kinds of wildlife do you have in your area? I've had rattlesnakes in the run twice, a red-tail hawk once swooped down and killed a hen while she was out of the run, the bobcat which kept returning until I popped him in the *** twice with rubber shot, bears have been a constant threat, and foxes. Also cows, which the chickens insist are very large bears.

All these animals were seen by the chickens and they alerted me with the five-note phrase all on the same key, but with the emphasis on the third note. "Bok-bok-BOK-bok-bok."

Did your chickens make any vocalizations when they acted scared?

 

[winteree]

The behavior you described does match the way chickens respond to a threat. What kinds of wildlife do you have in your area? I've had rattlesnakes in the run twice, a red-tail hawk once swooped down and killed a hen while she was out of the run, the bobcat which kept returning until I popped him in the *** twice with rubber shot, bears have been a constant threat, and foxes. Also cows, which the chickens insist are very large bears.

All these animals were seen by the chickens and they alerted me with the five-note phrase all on the same key, but with the emphasis on the third note. "Bok-bok-BOK-bok-bok."

Did your chickens make any vocalizations when they acted scared?

my rooster will let out one loud cluck followed by several small clucks. that i have only heard when i picked up other chickens in the past and then they go running into the coop. As far as predators go we have a good list. hawks, owls, at least 5 types of snakes, foxes, coyotes, coon dogs, rats, possums (i only seen them kill chickens when going for the eggs), stray dogs\cats and humans.

 

[winteree]

The behavior you described does match the way chickens respond to a threat. What kinds of wildlife do you have in your area? I've had rattlesnakes in the run twice, a red-tail hawk once swooped down and killed a hen while she was out of the run, the bobcat which kept returning until I popped him in the *** twice with rubber shot, bears have been a constant threat, and foxes. Also cows, which the chickens insist are very large bears.

All these animals were seen by the chickens and they alerted me with the five-note phrase all on the same key, but with the emphasis on the third note. "Bok-bok-BOK-bok-bok."

Did your chickens make any vocalizations when they acted scared?

i got very mad by the whole situation i took out my net caught hellion and held him for about 3 minutes after that well i think hellion is trying to kill my hen by starving her to death

i was out the coop almost the whole day with my computer and even through hellion wasn't eating\drinking he wouldn't let Watson eat or drink anything either.

i marked the food line on the outside feeder yesterday and the food hasn't moved at all. what do i do? i can't let my birds starve because of one OCD rooster

 

[azygous]

See? It really pays to spend time observing your chickens.

Roosters are smarter and more devious than people give them credit for. Sometimes I think they're a little too smart for being a chicken. The thing with roosters is that they want to dominate everyone, you included. Keeping your hen from eating is likely his way of dominating her and you both. You need to take him down a peg by removing him from the picture.

I know you're real busy, and gone most of the day, but you need to do this. A separate pen would be ideal for during the day. Or if you don't have that capability, do you have a dog crate? It won't hurt him to be crated up for a few days. I've found that the rooster won't even soil the crate if you take him out and put him on a newspaper for a minute or two every two or three hours. Yes, roosters are naturally paper-trained.

After about three days, try them back together. If the behavior resumes, you'll need to crate him up for another few days. But separation really should work to nip this bad behavior in the whatever.