Your chickens aren't complete idiots

[Player Hater]

but sometimes it takes a minute to figure out why they do the things they do.


We've been getting a lot of rain here the past week or so. Instead of leaving my birds stuck in the brooder all day being stinky, I rigged up a tarp over part of their run so they could still be outside.

The problem is, when it rains, instead of hanging out under the tarp they all go to the opposite corner of the run and huddle together looking wet and miserable. I would go out and herd them under the tarp and say, "See? It's not raining in here, it's nice! And your food and water is under here! Stay under here while it's raining." Then I'd go back inside.

Looking out a few minutes later, I'd see them huddled in the corner again, soaking wet. I'd heard them under the tarp again, and so on. Eventually i decided to crouch under the tarp with them for a while, letting them eat out of my hand. "See? It's nice and dry under here, you dummies."

The wind blew just a little, and the tarp wiggled and flapped. The birds looked around nervously. It happened again, and they scattered and ran away to huddle in the far corner of the run.

They aren't too dumb to get out of the rain, they just think the tarp is going to kill and eat them.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Ha, I know it takes a while to look at thinks from the chicken's perspective. My chickens raise a ruckus when I walk by their run with a tarp.

 

[kimbymarie]

It has been raining all week where I live too. I have a steel roof over the run but sides are all hardwire cloth. I was concerned of the wind and rain blowing in. So what I did was I took a large 30 gal kitchen waste basket, laid it down filled with pine shavings and they all go inside of that when they want to get out of mist, rain, and wind, seeing they are not smart enough to go into their coop. Puts my mind at ease, and makes them happy.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Now, that is clever!

 

[kimbymarie]

Thank you, works like a charm. I think they like the coziness of it too. Anything to make my babies feel comfortable.

 

[Player Hater]

anyone else have "dumb birds" stories or know any good threads?

 

[Dowie]

I love the tarp story! It's all a matter of seeing it from their point of view. They are pretty rational (according to their own lights).

My friend thinks her chickens are dumb because they have twice jumped out of their pen and then been killed by her dog. Previous to getting the dog, the chickens had been free range. I argue that if you were stuck in a prison (which is how the voracious foragers she owns regard the pen), then you may risk death to get out. Many American POWs died escaping German prison camps - despite the camps being reasonably comfortable.

Nope, she just thinks they are dumb. I think she's dumb for buying a well known 'bird' dog after she got chickens.

So, are we a bit hard on chickens? Or are they dumb?

 

[benjoycei]

"Nope, she just thinks they are dumb. I think she's dumb for buying a well known 'bird' dog after she got chickens.

"

yep