Strangest behavior ever!

[whoacowboy]

 

[yinzerchick]

I agree with the preditor theory.

Mine do the same thing. In fact, I was trying to make a video with my rooster Mick, and everytime I would get near him with the camera, he would freeze. I had to keep telling him it's a VIDEO, move please. I didn't want him to look like a statue of a chicken. lol. (Poking him with a stick helped get him moving him too.)

 

[Jencleg]

Quote:
Aw shucks

Thank you. I had a blast making them. I also can add all sorts of power tools to my list of "things I have done!" I also have a lot more I want to add...but SHHH...just dont tell my husband!!

 

[Jencleg]

Quote:
Heehee I was thinking that too! I was just keeping quiet so no one would notice me stealing her flowerbox idea....

 

[cottagechick]

So my chickens aren't scared of me when they run from me(How I wish they would stand still so I could pick them up and put them away) They are just laughing at me...?

 

[Jencleg]

Quote:
Yup....they are just messing with ya!

LOL! How old are your chickens? Mine are between 4-5 months and were skittitish untill about a week ago & now, they stalk me, meet me at the door & fly on top of my head! If they are still young, it may just be their age.

 

[SycolinWoodsChickens]

Sounds like a predator to me too. What kind of wire do you have on the coop door? It needs to be hardware cloth firmly attached (with screws not staples) . A raccoon can pull a hen through chicken wire or just break through it completely. They can also work a latch and open the door to get to the hens.

Also, do you have hardware cloth at the bottom of the run? I can't see clearly but I'm not 100% sure you are predator proof.

Is there wire or something buried under the edge of the run? If not something can burrow under it and get to your girls.

Not picking on you but you would be amazed what and how things can get to your chooks. The girls might be trying to tell you that something is trying to break in.

Hope you figure out what's going on soon.

 

[cottagechick]

Quote:
Yup....they are just messing with ya!

LOL! How old are your chickens? Mine are between 4-5 months and were skittitish untill about a week ago & now, they stalk me, meet me at the door & fly on top of my head! If they are still young, it may just be their age.

That is really hopeful news. One is about 3 months old, the other is about 4 months old. The older one seems "interested" in me. Sort of perks up and stretches her neck out, cocks her head and stares at me. I can usually catch her first. (She isn't interested enough in me not to run...) The younger one is definitely NOT interested in me...and she is harder to catch. I usually catch the first one then put her in a cage in an area where I can corner the other one when she come running to be near the other one. They cannot stand being out of sight of each other. Do all chicks make the weird strangled duck noise when they are alone??? How old were yours when you got them?
Thanks,
Julie

 

[Jencleg]

Quote:
Hi! The coop door is a solid piece of wood on the left & hardware cloth on the right. I have the twisty locks and key locks to put on them, and the coop itself is on stilts that put it about 4 feel off the ground.. So I feel comfortable for when they are in the coop. Which they are locked up every night. This is also the very first time they have ever acted like this.

The Run: We do have chicken wire

attatched to the inside that runs 18 inches up & 18 inches under to the outside. I also have extremely heavy flower boxes on top and am fixin to add a whole bunch of rocks to the apron too. I am also running the electric fencing all around the outside of the fence to deter any critters.

I am aware that coons & such are bound to find us...but in the 9 years that we have lived in our subdivision, we have never had a problem (YET) and we have a terrible habit of leaving stinky bags of garbage on the porch at night till we take them to the garbage can in the mornings & we have never had an incident

The good new s is that last night they were perfectly normal & this morning my lil man was back to standing at the wire crowing "Good Morning!!"

 

[debid]

I'd put money on them having had an encounter with a predator. I've watched my chickens react to potential predators -- birds flying over, our dog, our cat, ridiculously loud boats, etc. and they are surprisingly good at being still and watching, alerting each other to potential threats, and finding safe places to hide. The behavior you're describing sounds exactly like that.