The Hoover and chicks....

[Cetawin]

Oh I really did it today. I had just made the girls very happy but moving them from their plastic tote into a 6' diameter hot tub frame....then I blew it today. They are ticked off at me :|

I dared to start that sucking machine and clean up their dust and shavings.

They did not like it one bit. The yelled, fluffed up, started their aerial play fighting with each other and got all puffy!

Sorry but the hot tub is the biggest they can have right now.....still too cold out of doors for them to move into a coop...which I have not built yet. They have heard the vacuum before but I guess the closeness of it set them off.

Do you think treats will get me back in their good graces? Did I traumatize them forever? How long do chickens remember such things? They are almost 4 weeks old.

I cooked them oatmeal this morning but they quickly forgot that kindness when the sucking machine started.

They will not come near me tonight.

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm sure they'll forget in a few days. They may just sleep it off.

 

[Cetawin]

Oh good. I was afraid I had freaked them out forever the way they were acting.

 

[Oakland_Ranchero]

My girls get freaked out too when the vacuum starts up. I usually give them some treats, like strawberries or watermelon, then start up the vacuum. They're so busy snacking away that they barely notice. Then again we seem to have a really loud house in general so they are kind of use some noise.

I'm sure they'll be fine though. Just keep socializing with them. I've even given them some treats when the vacuum is on so they don't associate it with a bad feeling.

 

[ozark hen]

excellent idea on the treats.

 

[Cetawin]

Thanks...I shall try that in the am if they are still displeased with me.

 

[donnap1967]

I was surprised when I turned on the vacuum for the first time. I thought my chicks were going to be afraid but they perked their heads up listening and went about their activities after a few seconds.

Guess I must have a noisy house too, lol!

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

With the construction of our new coop, we've used the compressor frequently, and it is sitting right by the brooder in the garage. I was busy being Bob the Builder(can I say that if I'm female?), so didn't really notice that it was cycling on & off so close to them. But when it happened while I was retrieving a tool, I looked to see how the chicks reacted, and I guess it had happened often enough that they were pretty mellow about the whole thing. I know when I'm next to it when it cycles on, I usually jump and mutter expletives under my breath. They're doing better than I am with it. So yours should get used to the vaccuum, and still love you to boot.