How To Scare The Be-Jesus Out of Your Chickens!

[donnavee]

I bought one of those nice yellow rain capes with a hood and all so I wouldn't get soaked on rainy mornings. Well obviously, I am a huge yellow, chicken eating monster when I wear it. So, the next rainy day, I go with an umbrella - even worse as they all run terrified to the far ends of the run with the ducks joining them. So, now I just get wet - the things I do for my birds.

 

[scooter147]

Quote:
I forgot about the umbrella, that thing must look like a pterodactyl to a chicken. This past spring (before garden and flower season) I let the hens out to free range in the yard. I got a call and I had to go and I knew I would out well past dark. So I went out to round up the hens which is usually quite easy, grab the coffee can put some scratch in and they all follow me in. Well it was raining so I grabbed the umbrella and headed out. HOLLY SMOKES, they saw me and full fledge panic set in. I had hens flying over the 4 foot yard fence, hens taking cover under the garden shed. They scattered in every possible direction. Well I knew it was useless to try and get them in at that point. I had to leave and I hoped for the best when I got home. When I got home I grabbed the flash light and headed for the coop. Luckily all were accounted for and they all came home to roost.

 

[Moonkit]

I wonder if how a chicken is raised effects this.. I've done similar things to what you all are describing (dropping loud objects, coming it with some big huge flapping thing.. new feeders or waterers as I settled on which I wanted to use.). Ours may jump slightly, but they just turn, stretch their necks and take a really good look at the object/activity and then go back to their chicken business.

However, our flock was raised amid a lot of construction in the backyard. We dug out a 3600 gallon koi pond, built a bridge, a skippy filter, a deck around half of it, fenced off a back part of the yard around their coop to serve as a run. We used table saws, hand saws, tillers, etc.. they enjoyed walking around and watching us work like it was nothing. A favorite activity was to scratch around in the piles of sawdust left by the table saws. The other day when it started raining, we went out with a big, flappy brown tarp to drape over the top of the run (because it was turning into a bog). They came out and kept up their 'happy chicken chatter', eating and drinking as we huffed and puffed and hauled that tarp through and across the top of their run, tieing it to the fencing and their coop. No paniced flapping, no screeches of fear.. our bantam cochin even laid her egg while we were working.

I've hauled black trashbags out there and flapped them open in the run with them around my feet. They just wait to see if I'm going to feed them anything. Again, no panicing, no running into the walls in terror. Infact, if we're working in the yard, they get upset if we don't let them out to join us.

So I wonder if it's like raising a puppy.. will exposing your chicks to more strange noises/sights/activities lead to calmer hens? Don't get me wrong, they see any large bird flying over, they're running for the bushes. But human activities such as power tools, flappy bags, tarps, etc.. don't seem to bother my flock.

 

[gryeyes]

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My flock is fascinated with power tools. My general contractor/handyman uses a big ol' hunkin' circular saw on a bench, plus a nail gun, as well as smaller saws and whatnot. Chickens hop right up on that bench to see where the sawdust is coming from, even when the saw is running. Scared the be-jeesus out of HIM the first time!

What my flock fears is stationary new things. A different waterer. A chair left outside where it wasn't before. A board leaning against the house. A small, personal cooler set down on the porch. You know, those evil, scary disguised monsters what are gonna git 'em if they get too close!

 

[Moonkit]

Quote:
My flock is fascinated with power tools. My general contractor/handyman uses a big ol' hunkin' circular saw on a bench, plus a nail gun, as well as smaller saws and whatnot. Chickens hop right up on that bench to see where the sawdust is coming from, even when the saw is running. Scared the be-jeesus out of HIM the first time!

What my flock fears is stationary new things. A different waterer. A chair left outside where it wasn't before. A board leaning against the house. A small, personal cooler set down on the porch. You know, those evil, scary disguised monsters what are gonna git 'em if they get too close!

Ours would do the same thing! When the table saw was running they'd come over and watch, even walking under the thing and everything. Our silkie was almost hit once by a piece of wood.. but it landed just behind her and she jumped forward a step, squawked.. then turned around to look at it. Once she'd pecked it a few times, she went about her business like nothing happened.

When we were building the bridge.. my dad was putting the horizontal planks on and he almost fell off when he felt something peck his back. He turned around and saw that our little bantam cochin had walked out on the framework of the bridge, half way over the pond where he was and was demanding treats! This was while he was using a power drill and screwdriver in turn.

Edit: my flock isn't bothered by changes in their food/dishes/etc though.. probably because we always offered them such a varied diet from some sort of mexican grain treat, yogurt, watermelons, apples, rice, peas, etc.. served in everything from tupperware bowls to normal plates and even a frying pan once.

During the summer when it was hotter than h*ll here in texas.. I put a small dish tub in their run as an extra source of water and a wading pool.. imagine my panic when I see this tub flipped over and moving around the run. Lift it up and see that our cochin (she seemed to be a trouble maker doesn't she?) had managed to get trapped under it, but was just going on as normal with scratching and looking for edible tidbits

 

[gryeyes]

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<*snort!*>

I can SO see this! I'd be rolling on the ground laughing if that happened at my place.

I am going to be smiling about that tale all day now. Thank you so much for sharing it.

 

[Moonkit]

Quote:
<*snort!*>

I can SO see this! I'd be rolling on the ground laughing if that happened at my place.

I am going to be smiling about that tale all day now. Thank you so much for sharing it.

It was a little pink dish tub too...

 

[wowmanacat]

I laughed so hard I could not see the screen. I know there has been something that I have do to make my girls do the freaky chicken dance.

 

[jomoncon]

Quote:
My girls made our plumber scream!! We have a raised house, and several weeks ago, the plumber was under the house making repairs. I forgot he was there, and let the Henriettas out for some free-range time. (All 8 RIRs are named Henrietta.) Well, the girls are fascinated by anyone digging holes, and when the plumber turned around, he had 8 sets of little eyes staring at him!

 

[StupidBird]

My chickens have never scared anyone.

But a few weeks ago, my pup did. The termite guy was checking the monitor traps around the house foundation, I was out with the dog and didn't realize that he was there, and dog was off-leash and took off.

Apparently, there was some crack going on with the guy bent over, and she snuck up and stuck her big wet nose on his back. She is a rottie mix, not small. What a yelp! Luckily, he thought it was funny too.