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

[Minniechickmama]

Quote:
I think there is something to be said about how they are raised. I too have been doing a lot of construction around my chicken yard and the birds seem somewhat uneffected by the noise, tools and the tractors as well (since some just won't move their tails fast enough when I am driving around). Inside the coop is a different story. They jump at everything I do unless I have the feed bucket in hand.

You have to remember, their teeny tiny brains can only allow them to understand so much.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
You are a mean, mean chicken mommy!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Just yesterday I was putting fresh shavings in some of the pens and wouldn't you know it, they completely freaked out at the sight of the bag of shavings! The last time I took shavings in, one spazzed so much she knocked my hat in the poop and shavings. Mental, I tell ya. The worst ones seem to be the pen of Ameraucanas!

 

[GhostRider65]

I love this thread ...whenever I need a good laugh I come see what's new on this thread.
My chickens are not loving the snow around here...... otherwise they are there silly selves, last snow I came in the barn to feed with my regular old winter boots I have always worn, but 1 difference they were covered with snow. well my Big boy roo, Handsome the Delaware comes over and starts pecking and attaching my boots, but the girls thought they were covered with tiny chicken eaters, they all ran screeching to the roosts or nest boxes..... and did not come down until I filled the feeders and left the coop..... silly things

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We had a freak snowstorm in this part of the world last Halloween weekend. For most of the flock it was their first snowfall and it was not just a ground cover, it was 6 inches and climbing. They were "freeranging" during the day as it snowed and snowed and most of them ended up under our vehicles waiting for the ground to appear again.
Dusk came and DH and I had better things to do than wait for them to wise up, so we gave in and shoveled a path for the chickens to follow to their coop door. Mama hen was the first to make the mad dash to the door, followed by her 6 week olds and then the rest of the flock. Except for two blue orp halfgrown pullets who couldn't find the door of the run in their sheer panic of fleeing that evil white stuff. DH and i looked at each other and said, heck they'll find their way in. And we went back into the nice warm house to settle in.
About 9 pm I thought I should lock the coop for the night so I took the flashlight and trudged out into the still falling snow. Pullet # 1 is in the coop with the others. There on the 6 ft high coop fence is the other lone blue pullet.
Did I mention our coop fence is butted against an 8 ft high steep bank? Did i mention the said pullet is right where the fence is closest to the bank and it's hard to reach? Solution? Grab a long handled broom and whisk her into the run. Easy! Not.
Pullet flies in opposite direction landing at the TOP of the 8 foot bank in a pile of snow. She's too terrified to move. She's planning on sleeping in the snow all night. Dumb chicken. Snow still falling. It's cold out. I am not dressed for this but I know the pullet won't be alive in the morning if I let her there. ( Note: DH still on the sofa watching TV, clueless to the drama outside.) Grab the butterfly net that DH has by the coop to snatch the young chicks. Plan is to net the pullet while she's in the snow.
Now, to get to the top of the bank I have 2 choices: go 10 ft straight up 60% grade bank or trudge 300 ft around coop, run, garage and up 30% grade. Still snowing. Rather than slide immediately, I grab a walking stick and head out and around.
At the top of the bank, pullet sees Abominable Snowman approaching and starts floundering in panic. ( Yeah, you wondered how this story pertained to freaking chickens. This is how.) Snowman throws net and diverts pullet to fly towards run fence. Pullet lands on run fence where fence is closest to bank and is impossible to reach. ( Can you see where this is going?) Abominable Snowman swooshes net again and pullet spooks off fence...not into the run but into snow OUTSIDE the run between the fence and the 60% bank where it's impossible to safely walk when it's NOT snowing. And snow is now 8 inches deep.
A.S. has two choices.Walk 300 feet down and around and possibly repeat the entire scenario in an endless loop or....sigh...
Did I mention A.S. is an older chubby broad who hasn't gone sledding since I peed my pants going downhill 15 years ago and it's a cold, dark and snowy night?
I bit the bullet, sat on my fanny and slid down the bank and caught the shocked hen before she ( or I ) knew what hit her. I was NOT in a good mood as I stumbled around like a drunken sailor where it's possible to turn an ankle even in warm dry weather. But I had that pullet by her legs and she wasn't going anywhere except where I was going to put her. I didn't even care she was squawking like the Abominable Snowman had not only grabbed her but was defeathering her alive, shaft by shaft.
i thought about it....seriously.
Reason prevailed but I did take her into the house to the toolbox and rummaged to find the colored wire ties. DH looked up from the TV and wisely stifled himself at my glare.
(Remember, they are HIS chickens.) He fastened a small tie around each of her legs. I wasn't chancing her losing any identification as I announced her name would henceforth be Trouble and heaven help her if she got into any more!
Then I quietly took her out to the coop, placed her on the roost, locked the door, and went back in the house to climb into my heated bed, pull the covers over my head and thaw my frozen derriere.
The snow melted by the next afternoon. Sigh.

 

[cottagechick]

That would happen to me....

 

[lolita117]

I love your story. I've scared my chickens before when I throw a bale of pine shaving in the coop and then take a big knife to cut it open. They go crazy too but soon after realize they get to scratch around in fresh litter. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading it!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Awesome story, they'reHISchickens! Just awesome!

 

[3 NH reds]

I had a new one to add. Our church had a blessing of the animals day, I packed our Jersey Rooster in a cat crate and took him in. He was fine overall until our pastor came over and looked in the cage. He went nuts shouting out the alarm, It was so loud that no one could hear the pastor even with his microphone on. This shocked him as he is an avid bird watcher. I had to walk the rooster away to get him to shut up. Not sure that the Rooster was thinking he was blessed. Put the cage in the coop and thirty seconds later he came out squawking but settled down.

 

[Countrypunk92]

Sometimes, If I have a nosey roo poking around, I will hide behind a corner.