My DH is afraid of my chickens!!!!

[Ema]

My husband loves all of our animals, but I noticed he seemed iffy around the chickens which really are only 4 week old still. Anyhow up until last week he would just sit back and watch me change their bedding, refill waterers and feeders, and then thinking that maybe he was just not sure on handling them I asked him to hold one and he declined, without giving me a reason, So I made fun of him and said he was afraid of of "the wedle tiny baby chicks!!" he smiled and walked away. then a few days later I told him that while I was trying to refill water and feed they always ran out of their Brooder cage, my husband built it with side swinging doors for cleaning ease. Anyhow I asked him to make sure that if one or two ran out to put them back in. Well one did run out and he got a little skittish and asked me to hurry up before the rest came out, and then asked my daughter to put it back in the cage.

Today I had a really busy morning with the kids and I was still dealing with my 2 yr old when I asked him to grab the waterer take it outside and clean it. well he agreed, went to the cage opened the door and all 21 chicks came running at him, he freaked out and closed the door, when the chicks walked back to the other side he tried again and the same thing happened. on the third attempt he got upset and said, you know what...do it yourself....so I got up and opened the door and took the waterer out, but while I was doing that 3 chicks ran out and went after his toes and he screamed like a little girl and ran in the livingroom....BAHAHAHAHHA....so I turned to look at him and I said "what was that!!!!" well he just looked at me, irritated that my 6 year old was giggling uncontrollably and said..." fine, I just don't like them...they FREAK me right out!!! they are nice from a distance!!"

my hubby is 6'2, works in road /bridge construction and is not afraid of anything, he has come face to face with bears and cougars and wolves, and has never shown fear of anything until now...Chickens!!!

I am sure he will eventually come around, but for now it will be fun picking on him, and maybe sharing the story with his coworkers when we go out for a drink on friday!!!

 

[joedie]

That's too funny! Some of my friends are creeped out about chickens, I have no idea why!

 

[rainierlass]

Sounds like something my DH would do........

he says he doesn't like birds ever since we had an Umbrella Cockatoo for 10 yrs which
he NEVER went near - - as far as he is concerned the chickens are in the same category.........silly!

 

[alaskachick]

I was afraid of chicken too, only because of childhood memories of the roosters being mean and aggressive to us as kids when we would go to my grandma's farm. She would ask us to go collect the eggs and the roosters would fly at us. Also the chickens would peck our hands as we reached for the eggs. I grew up thinking hens and roos were mean and always was nervous around them. Now that I am older I like them. They are very interesting to watch.

 

[dedicateddourly]

I hate to laugh at your husband's expense, but that is too funny. I literally have tears in my eyes from laughing.

That said, I too was afraid of my chicks, especially at the 10-day mark. But I handled them a lot and learned to trust that they wouldn't peck me or bite me. Their nails do scratch sometimes though. Maybe you could get him a couple of really young ones so he can slowly desensitize.

 

[Ema]

I don't think age will make a difference, he wouldn't even hold them when they were like 2 days old....lol...I told him I posted this and he just grinned and said...no worries...I'll get you back sooner or later.....lol

Edited because I left out a bunch or words and this made no sense X2...lol...

 

[Alabama ee]

Poor guy! Don't give him too hard a time.

 

[Me & My Peeps]

My wife was like that. I told her, "You just have to spend time with them and let them know you represent food. They'll come around".

One day about a month ago, I had her sit in the pen on a pail. I quickly handed her an ear of corn and they were ALL over her!! On her lap, flying up on her shoulders, she tried to get up but forgot to let go of the corn so they kept following her! LOL I was laughing so hard I couldnt even tell her to drop it.

Here's a post I made about it; https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4373843#p4373843 post #10

 

[PortageGirl]

I think fear of birds is a fairly common phobia, and a very real thing. Maybe he's got a mild version of it, (there are different levels of such things!). Maybe it's a true phobia, or maybe it's something left over from childhood, but that sort of thing doesn't depend on age or size or gender. Hopefully with some slow and careful help he'll get used to them, but maybe not.

 

[Me & My Peeps]

Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens

Taken of course, from the "List of Phobia's" website.. man, there's a phobia for everything!! http://phobialist.com/#A-