What are my chickens thinking???

[#1California Chick]

I have NINE 11 week old chickens. They went into their coop and run 4 weeks ago. The coop and run are out in the "garden" 1/4 acre, which is set off from our back yard by a 6 ft fence.

I have been trying to introduce my "City" dogs to the chickens. My 90 pound Standard Poodle has been doing real well. The chickens come right up to the edge of the run to "look" at him. He wags his tail and does NOT bark. So far, so good.

My 20 pound Minature Schaunazer was a bit of a challenge. But, I was able to get him to stand by the run without barking while the chickens all came up to see him. REALLY HARD for a "prey oriented" dog. He also "looks" through the 6ft wooden fence without barking. I thought that I had "Won the War"!!!

This evening I was out in the garden doing some watering, when my 11 pound yellow cat came out to tell me he was hungry. Since he has the run of the entire yard from morning to night (he sleeps inside), I am sure that he has been out there before.

As he walked down one side of the run, the chickens went CRAZY!!! They flew up the 8 ft sides of the run (opposite side) - which they have NEVER done before and huddled in the corner.

Why are they so FREAKED by my little cat and not by my dogs (who sometimes bark)?????

Thanks!!

Cindy

 

[SunnyChic]

Do your neighbors have cats? If so, they might be "stalking them" outside the pen.

 

[#1California Chick]

No. The only "neighborhood" cats come around after my girls are locked up for the night. No neighbor cats in the day time.

 

[SunnyChic]

My chickens went nuts and were scared silly when a piece of cardboard & masking tape fell in their pen the other day...chickens can be so "chicken"!

 

[Mahonri]

Just for fun, put up a fake Owl by your pop door... they'll all stay on the other side of the run. It cracked me up!

 

[silkiechicken]

Who knows, sometimes a falling leaf will cause them to freak out, might have been the wag of the cat's tail that set them off. Slow movements and a predator could probably eat the foot right out from under the bird, any quick movement and the whole flock will go insane.

 

[#1California Chick]

I am trying to get my "predators" (my dogs) to get used to the chickens so that they won't "rush" the run. The dogs are doing pretty good and the chickens seem to like them.

It is the "cat" problem that confuses me. The cat was just sitting there when the chickens went "nuts".

 

[Uppity Peon]

I think my cat made a run at one of my pullets today. I heard a big squawk-a-doodle and saw the cat slinking away. I hope the rooster kicks her butt soon.

The chickens are a bit wary of my dogs, but only one of them seems to take any interst in them, Today he was yapping at them through a fence but the chickens didn't freak out. I don't know.

They do get really frightened if I pick something up. A chunk of firewood and they think I'm moving mountains and the world is goint to end.

 

[mmwb]

"What are my chickens thinking"


Very, very little thinking going on when it comes to chickens...

 

[#1California Chick]

Quote:
mmwb -- You are probably EXACTLY RIGHT!!! Here I was trying to "train" all the "outside the coop" creatures and forgot that the "inside the coop" creatures weren't trained!!!!

Thanks!

Cindy